The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

February 9, 2009

The Hockey News - Feb-09-09

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03556/9220420-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="293" height="90"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011100/9220427-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="218" height="155"></div><h3><b>ECHL</b></h3><h2><b>Tone-setting win streak</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Victoria Salmon Kings formally introduced themselves as title contenders with a 15-game winning streak that ended in mid-January. Victoria has steadily improved since joining the league in 2004-05 and is a hit at the Save-On-Foods Centre, drawing nearly 4,600 a night. The Salmon Kings only won 15 games during their inaugural season and had four coaches their first three years. &ldquo;Overall, it was positive to have been involved in something like that streak,&rdquo; said Victoria coach-GM Mark Morrison, whose team finished two wins shy of Cincinnati&rsquo;s ECHL record set last season.</p><p>&ndash; MIKE MASTOVICH</p><h3><b>UNITED STATES LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Committing at 14 to college</b></h2><p>College recruiting continues to change, in both geography and demographics. Case in point: 16-year-old Fargo Force right winger Colten St-Clair. The Gilbert, Ariz., native gained notoriety while playing triple-A in Phoenix and verbally committed to Colorado College at just 14. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s still developing, but he has NHL potential,&rdquo; said one scout of St-Clair, who is not draft eligible until 2011. &ldquo;He has good hands and can snipe.&rdquo; At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, St-Clair &ndash; whose Western League playing rights are held by Kootenay &ndash; is an exceptional skater and has five goals and 10 points through 32 games.</p><p>&ndash; PAUL SHAHEEN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-05386/9220413-1-eng-US/f0039-052.jpg" title="f0039-05" width="296" height="148"></div><h3><b>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Infection halts Komet&rsquo;s season</b></h2><p>Fort Wayne Komets center Colin Chaulk was sidelined indefinitely after four surgeries for a staph infection on his left heel. The Fort Wayne <i>Journal Gazette</i> reported Chaulk skates without socks and developed a blister during training camp. By early January, he was no longer able to play and was experiencing chills and a high fever. &ldquo;All the guys saw how bad Colin got hit by this,&rdquo; left winger P-C Drouin told the <i>Journal Gazette</i>. &ldquo;It could have been worse. At least it didn&rsquo;t go to two or three other guys.&rdquo; The team has stressed dressing room hygiene, showering immediately after leaving the ice and not sharing towels.</p><p>&ndash; BRENDAN SAVAGE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-07286/9220406-1-eng-US/f0039-072.jpg" title="f0039-07" width="265" height="155"></div><h3><b>CENTRAL LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Bucking up for a good cause</b></h2><p>A deer on a rooftop is not usual during the holiday season. But Laredo Bucks mascot &lsquo;Bucky&rsquo; was still perched atop the Laredo Entertainment Center in January, hoping to spark a sellout and raise money for WINGS, a non-profit organization providing breast cancer treatment for uninsured patients. Laredo players visited Bucky during his 50-hour rooftop stay, as did majority owner Glenn Hart, coach Terry Ruskowski and Laredo mayor Raul Salinas. The game was just short of a sellout, as 6,500 watched the Bucks lose 4-3 to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in overtime. The Bucks donated $10,000.</p><p>&ndash; DAVID HENRY</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02714/9220399-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="255" height="155"></div><h3><b>SOUTHERN PRO LEAGUE</b></h3><h2><b>Tough schedule dogs Columbus</b></h2><p>Columbus can partly blame the schedule for being in a dogfight with Fayetteville and Twin City for the final playoff spot. Coach Jerome Bechard&rsquo;s team plays 29 of its 60 games against league-leaders Knoxville and Huntsville. Fayetteville and Twin City play the leaders just 22 and 18 times each. Columbus (14-17-3) would be sitting pretty if it wasn&rsquo;t 3-6-0 against Knoxville and 0-6-1 versus Huntsville. Meanwhile, captain Jonathan Lounsbury was released by Huntsviulle. &ldquo;I kind of blame myself,&rdquo; said coach Eric Soltys. &ldquo;It may have been too much for him to concentrate on the ice (with) the pressure of being captain.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; NICK GATES</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-04463/9220392-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="240" height="155"></div><h3><b>CANADIAN JR. A</b></h3><h2><b>Axe falls in Collingwood</b></h2><p>A power struggle resulted in the Ontario Jr. League&rsquo;s Collingwood Blues losing their entire front-office staff. Coach Chad Moreau and his assistants were dismissed prompting GM Gord Zeggil and assistant GM Dale West to resign in protest. &ldquo;I told (team director Darrell Mussell) if he was going to release Chad, he would have to release me,&rdquo; said Zeggil, holding true to his word. West had been with the team 18 years. Moreau, who was fired and rehired earlier in the season, had the rebuilding team in playoff contention. The new coach is Myles McCauley. Paul Dossey takes over GM duties.</p><p>&ndash; NATHAN WHITE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-06320/9220385-1-eng-US/f0039-062.jpg" title="f0039-06" width="252" height="155"></div><h3><b>CANADIAN UNIVERSITY</b></h3><h2><b>Fights no issue in university</b></h2><p>As leagues across North America look to establish stricter penalties in an effort to quell fighting, the CIS has been operating for years with a set of rules that has essentially taken fisticuffs right out of the game. In most cases, fighting leads to an automatic five-minute major, a game misconduct and one-game suspension. This season, the three conferences &ndash; Atlantic University Sport, Ontario University Athletics and Canada West &ndash; have had only 10 fights combined. &ldquo;(Fighting) has not been a concern in Canada West,&rdquo; said convenor Bill Symour. &ldquo;I suspend more guys for abuse of officials than anything else.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; JEFF RENAUD</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-08242/9220378-1-eng-US/f0039-082.jpg" title="f0039-08" width="471" height="81"></div><h3><b>THE WOMEN&rsquo;S GAME</b></h3><h2><b>Balancing act between pipes</b></h2><p>Like most of her peers, goaltender Keely Brown is committed to playing hockey and to a fulltime job. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been pretty lucky turning my love of hockey into a career,&rdquo; said Brown, whose stats line read 7-2-0, with a 3.22 goals-against average and .900 save percentage through mid-January. As the director of administration and general counsel for the Edmonton Oilers, Brown has learned to balance playing elite-level hockey in the Western Women&rsquo;s League with running the Oilers&rsquo; legal department. She works 50-to-60 hours per week and trains five-to-six days a week with the 12-6-0 Edmonton Chimos.</p><p>&ndash; CASSIE CAMPBELL-PASCALL<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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IN THIS ISSUE

Hardcore Hockey

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021386/9219336-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="519" height="508"></div><p><b>STILL GOT IT Brendan Shanahan</b> and Claude Lemieux find their way back to the world&rsquo;s best hockey league.</p><p><b>ALEX THE GREAT</b> Hershey&rsquo;s Alexandre Giroux sets AHL record with at least one goal in 15 straight games.</p><p><b>BEAR-LY BEATABLE</b> Boston goalies Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez both at or near the top of the league in GAA and SP.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03851/9219329-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="518" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SHANAHAN: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>GOALIES GONE</b> Injuries end the season for <b>Pascal Leclaire</b> in Columbus and Rick DiPietro on the Isle.</p><p><b>WILD IN THE WOODS</b> Middling Minnesota started very strong, but will be life and death to make the playoffs now.</p><p><b>DOWN AND OUT</b> Panthers trailed after two periods on 15 occasions and had yet to scratch out a win in any of them.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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In Every Issue

+Plus Minus –

<div class="byline">BY PHIL JANACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011257/9220118-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="969" height="1193"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><p>IT SEEMS TREVOR LEWIS HAS always done things better the second time around.</p><p>Eligible for the NHL draft in 2005, he wasn&rsquo;t taken until 2006 when the Los Angeles Kings grabbed him 17th overall.</p><p>Blessed with size, speed and an ability to play all three forward positions, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound Salt Lake City-native followed up a forgettable U.S. junior hockey debut by nabbing an armload of awards in his second United States League season, including player of the year.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of been the same thing everywhere I went,&rdquo; Lewis said. &ldquo;The first year was kind of a learning experience and the second year I got a lot better and took on more of a leadership role. I guess that&rsquo;s kind of panning out here, too.&rdquo;</p><p>Here is with LA.&rsquo;s farm team in Manchester, where Lewis led the team in every offensive category at the midway point of the season.</p><p>He had 10 goals and 28 points in 37 games, matching the offensive output from 76 games in his rookie season for the Monarchs.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year was a bit of a learning experience,&rdquo; Lewis said. &ldquo;This year, I have a lot more confidence coming in, knowing what the league was like. I&rsquo;ve gotten the chance to do a lot more things and have been trying to capitalize on that, so it&rsquo;s been good.&rdquo;</p><p>Coming out of Des Moines, where Kyle Okposo was his Jr. A linemate, Lewis signed a letter of intent to play hockey at the University of Michigan. But that summer, shortly after the Kings drafted him, Lewis was signed to a three-year contract. He landed in the Ontario League instead of the NCAA.</p><p>Playing alongside other high draft picks such as Bobby Ryan and Bob Sanguinetti, Lewis had 29 goals and 73 points in 62 games for the Owen Sound Attack in 2006-07. He was assigned to Manchester when Owen Sound&rsquo;s season ended and scored four goals in his first eight AHL games.</p><p>This year, Lewis got an early Christmas present when he was recalled to Los Angeles in mid-December and played six games with the Kings.</p><p>He made his debut against Buffalo and picked up his first NHL point &ndash; a goal &ndash; against the team he grew up rooting for, the Detroit Red Wings.</p><p>&ldquo;It was a very good experience,&rdquo; Lewis said. &ldquo;I got a little taste of what it was like. It was everything I expected. I got to play against Detroit. I was kind of in awe during warmups, but it was a lot of fun. I hope to be up there again soon.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02884/9220111-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="214" height="214"></div><h2><b>Trevor Lewis</b></h2><p>Manchester Monarchs</p><p>Ht. 6-1</p><p>Wt. 192</p><p>Pos. C</p><p>Age 21</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03730/9220104-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="197" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 17</b></h2><p>Passed over in &rsquo;05, Lewis was drafted 17th overall in &rsquo;06.</p><h3><b>NOTES FROM THE EAST</b></h3><h2><b>Bonvie the barista</b></h2><p>Well-traveled over a 15-year playing career that included stops in 14 NHL and AHL cities, Dennis Bonvie always felt Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was a pretty sweet place to play.</p><p>Now, thanks to the 35-year-old former enforcer, it will be for everyone.</p><p>Bonvie signed a lease agreement to open a Blue Chip Gourmet cafe in the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Based in Ohio, the national chain specializes in cookies, ice cream, coffee and light fare.</p><p>&ldquo;Downtown Wilkes-Barre has undergone a total transformation since my arrival back in 1999,&rdquo; Bonvie said. &ldquo;I have been looking for the right opportunity to invest in the community that invested in me over the past nine years.&rdquo;</p><p>The cafe is scheduled to open in mid-March. Bonvie played parts of five seasons with the AHL Penguins, including his last three, before retiring last spring and becoming a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>RECORD BREAKER Hershey right winger Alexandre Giroux broke Brett Hull&rsquo;s 22-year-old AHL record by scoring a goal in his 15th consecutive game, a shootout win over Worcester.</p><p>&ndash; PHIL JANACK</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-04593/9220097-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="185" height="267"></div><p>ON TOP</p><h3><b>TOP SNIPERS</b></h3><p><b>Alexandre Giroux</b></p><p>Hershey Bears</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-05501/9220090-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="199" height="104"></div><p>34 <b>GOALS</b></p><p><b>Chris Minard, WB 26</b></p><p>Joe Motzko, Chi 24</p><p>Michael Ryan, Alb 20</p><p>Trevor Smith, Bri 20</p><p>Kyle Greentree, QC 20</p><p>Pascal Pelletier, Rck 20</p><p>Artem Anisimov, Hfd 20<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Second time is a charm

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012095/9219039-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="578" height="489"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>ON CHERRY AGREED to be interviewed for this edition&rsquo;s cover story with a smidgen of wariness. He wanted some assurance he wouldn&rsquo;t be sandbagged as he ruminated on his life and times during 75 years on the planet. He&rsquo;d been burned before and, naturally, didn&rsquo;t like the feeling.</p><p>We don&rsquo;t blame him. And we&rsquo;re respecting his wish. In the seven-page Q&A piece, he speaks for himself without judgment from us or anyone else. Still, we feel it&rsquo;s important to clarify why we ventured down this road and explain our editorial position on the most controversial man in hockey. (Sean Avery isn&rsquo;t really in hockey right now, is he?)</p><p>Opinions of Cherry among THN staff members are likely reflective of hockey fandom in general &ndash; wildly varied. Some love him and embrace him and support much of what he has to say. Others disagree with him frequently, but enjoy being engaged and entertained by Coach&rsquo;s Corner. And there are a couple people who believe he doesn&rsquo;t belong on a public broadcaster, that his views are detrimental for the game; they&rsquo;re probably holding their noses while we publish this story.</p><p>Nobody, however, is indifferent.</p><p>And that&rsquo;s the beauty of Cherry. He incites passion. Once a week, millions of pairs of eyes and ears are intently focused on what he has to say. He appeals to a very large segment of Joe Fan. He also has burrowed his way under the skin and into the veins of people who love to analyze and criticize. He&rsquo;s a perpetual talking point.</p><p>The man merits respect for carving an iconic career from humble beginnings. He isn&rsquo;t classically educated, he played just one NHL game and, despite some success coaching the Boston Bruins, never got his name on the Stanley Cup. He leveraged that resume into a good gig with <i>Hockey Night in Canada</i>, which, with the aid of considerable shtick, has ballooned into a phenomenon.</p><p>Heck, Cherry was voted the seventh-greatest Canadian of all-time by the public for a CBC TV special, behind only men who made great differences in political, scientific or medical spheres, and ahead of Canada&rsquo;s first prime minister, the man who invented the telephone and, ahem, Wayne Gretzky.</p><p>Our story is not an endorsement of what he says, but recognition of who he is&hellip;and a pat on the back for a happy 75th birthday.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021773/9219032-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="476" height="254"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Why we’re feting Cherry

<div class="byline">RICK HAROLD, KINGSVILLE, ONT.</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021508/9219132-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="441" height="494"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(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/f0005-03967/9219125-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="124" height="143"></div><p>Enough of the fighting debate. A simple solution would be to go back to the old 18-player rosters.</p><p>The goons who currently play about four minutes a game would be gone and their ice time would easily be absorbed by the more skilled players who can actually play the game.</p><p>Fighting would still exist. I can remember when Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard would get run into the boards and the fans waited on the edge of their seats until someone got pounded.</p><p>There would be no need for the instigator penalty either, the players can protect themselves<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p></div>

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Less is more

<blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&ldquo;When the magazine comes, my mom hides it; it&rsquo;s her way of making me do chores&rdquo;</b></blockquote><h2><b>The spirit of hockey</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>M</span>y nine-year-old daughter, Becca, plays for the Tillsonburg Lightning atom rep girls team and recently lost a friend, Angie, to cancer. You can imagine the challenge of dealing with death at such a young age.</p><p>On the way to a game she said to me: &ldquo;Dad, if I score, I&rsquo;m gonna do this (pointing to the sky) and say &lsquo;that&rsquo;s for Angie.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Later, after the girls got dressed, Becca came out of the change room sporting a huge smile and a letter &lsquo;A&rsquo; on her sweater, because she was awarded the assistant captaincy. She said to me: &ldquo;Look dad, &lsquo;A&rsquo; for Angie,&rdquo; and the waterworks erupted from me.</p><p>During the game, the girls were applying offensive pressure when out of the corner came a beautiful pass and a one-timer off Becca&rsquo;s stick to the back of the net.</p><p>She skated up the ice looking to the sky and pointing to the heavens; there wasn&rsquo;t a dry eye in the place.</p><p>The results of the game are moot. It&rsquo;s in these actions we truly see what it is to be a team player both on and off the ice.</p><p>Dave Moore, Tillsonburg, Ont.</p><h2><b>The Oil&rsquo;s king</b></h2><p>Why is there so much publicity over Alexander Semin&rsquo;s play this year? At the time of this letter, Semin and Ales Hemsky are tied with 41 points. Ales has played six more games, but he plays in the tighter checking Western Conference and doesn&rsquo;t have high profile linemates.</p><p>If Hemsky had Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom on his line, he would pump out more than 100 points, easily.</p><p>By the way, I love the magazine. When it comes, my mom hides it; it&rsquo;s her way of making me do chores.</p><p>Joel Mitchell, Edmonton</p><h2><b>Lemieux&rsquo;s lessons</b></h2><p>With the recent return of Claude Lemieux, I began to remember back to when he was the best pest in the league. Once he retired, however, another player tried to step into that role.</p><p>That player was Sean Avery.</p><p>The differences between Lemieux and Avery are many. What made Lemieux an amazing pest was the fact he knew when to stop and he was not a detriment to the team. Also, he earned respect because he stepped up his game in the playoffs and has the Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe Trophies to prove it.</p><p>Maybe Avery should strive to be more like Lemieux and he might be able to get back into the league and be effective.</p><p>Glen Cuthbert, Hamilton, Ont.</p><h2><b>Close to home</b></h2><p>Instead of playing more NHL games in Europe, putting the players through all the extra traveling and time away from their families, why not play games in cities that don&rsquo;t have NHL teams?</p><p>People in non-traditional markets might start to enjoy the NHL more and you know hockey fans will travel to see a game if they get a chance to see one in their hometown.</p><p>Why not spend time and energy selling the sport here in North America instead of taking it to Europe?</p><p>Paul Mabee, Banff, Alta.</p><h2><b>Cheap retaliation</b></h2><p>Is anybody else tired of seeing players retaliate after a clean hit?</p><p>If you get knocked down by a legal bodycheck take it like a man, tough guy. It&rsquo;s probably your own fault for admiring that sweet pass or losing the puck in your skates.</p><p>Don&rsquo;t go ballistic if you get planted by a nice hit, keep your head up and play the game.</p><p>Rob Boadt, Kalamazoo, Mich.</p><h2><b>Wingless wonder</b></h2><p>No Hossa. No Zetterberg. No Datsyuk. No Lidstrom. No all-star Detroit Red Wings? No watching for me.</p><p>The NHL drops the ball, er puck, yet again.</p><p>Jeremiah Hoehner, Warren, Mich.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012087/9219094-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" 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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Crowd Shots

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012318/9219170-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="561" height="679"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SUTTER: GREGG FORWERCK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>What was your &lsquo;welcome to the NHL&rsquo; moment?</b></p><p>My first game. It was our home opener and just stepping on the ice and they call your name out there, I&rsquo;ll never forget it. It was pretty cool.</p><p><b>If you had your own theme song, what would it be?</b></p><p>&ldquo;Should&rsquo;ve Been a Cowboy,&rdquo; by Toby Keith.</p><p><b>Best album of all-time?</b></p><p>&ldquo;Garth Brooks - The Hits,&rdquo; no question.</p><p><b>Who is your road roommate and how is he?</b></p><p>Michael Leighton. He&rsquo;s pretty good. I&rsquo;m the one that snores so I&rsquo;ve got it good.</p><p><b>What was your last job before hockey?</b></p><p>Back at home, working on the farm.</p><p><b>Worst injury you&rsquo;ve had or seen?</b></p><p>Well I had one this year, probably the worst I&rsquo;ve had and the worst I&rsquo;ve seen. I got hit pretty hard by Doug Weight and knocked out. That wasn&rsquo;t much fun.</p><p><b>Who has booed you?</b></p><p>Medicine Hat Tigers fans.</p><p><b>Best trash talk you&rsquo;ve heard?</b></p><p>I get &ldquo;Daddy&rsquo;s Boy&rdquo; a lot.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021552/9219163-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="66" height="66"></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 BRANDON SUTTER

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04567/9219208-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="562" height="583"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TURRIS: NORM HALL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-03909/9219215-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="210" height="210"></div><p>Adam,</p><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>ith all the talk about possible franchise relocations, will there ever be another team in Quebec City? Would the Coyotes move back to Winnipeg?</p><p><i>Vic Dubrow, Hartford, Conn.</i></p><p>Vic,</p><p>In the present economic environment, it would be folly for me, or the NHL for that matter, to completely rule out a return anywhere &ndash; including your hometown or Quebec. That&rsquo;s why there&rsquo;s no guarantee the cash-strapped Coyotes won&rsquo;t head back to Winnipeg at some point. If enough teams buckle under the weight of financial turmoil, the league may have no choice but to retrench to familiar markets.</p><p>Adam,</p><p>With so many first round NHL draft picks in the program, was Team U.S.A.&rsquo;s fifth-place finish at the World Junior Championship a huge disappointment?</p><p><i>Todd Hollman, Erie, Pa.</i></p><p>Todd,</p><p>Although you can&rsquo;t judge a country&rsquo;s future solely by its WJC performance, there&rsquo;s no doubt USA Hockey officials experienced a major letdown this year in Ottawa. All isn&rsquo;t lost, though; the 2011 WJC in Buffalo will present a nice platform for USA Hockey to promote its progress.</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/f0006-06312/9219201-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="66" height="66"></div><p>Need more of your questions answered? 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>

f0006-04

ASK Adam

<p>Which of these teams is most likely to make the playoffs?</p><p><b>Phoenix 52%</b></p><p>Columbus 33%</p><p>Florida 15%</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05442/9219253-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="564" height="760"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NORDIQUES: SCOTT LEVY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SPIT IT OUT!</b></h2><h3><b>GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST</b></h3><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 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100 Toronto, ON., M2N 6S7, Canada</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07191/9219246-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="66" height="66"></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>

f0006-05

POLL RESULTS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021676/9219298-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="261" height="275"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>M</span>ORE THAN THREE YEARS after it was struck, the players have learned to live with what was supposed to be an oppressive collective bargaining agreement. Heck, you might even be inclined to think the players took their employers to the cleaners again instead of the other way around.</p><p>The players confirmed their happiness with the document when they voted in late January not to reopen the CBA, guaranteeing labor peace until at least after the 2010-11 season. That will almost certainly be pushed to 2012 when the players vote later to extend the deal by another year.</p><p>So where do we go from here? Well, both the players and the league recently proved they could work together by altering the CBA to give the NHLPA more freedom to allocate monies from international games as it sees fit in exchange for giving the league a higher percentage of revenues.</p><p>&ldquo;The easy thing to do would be to say, &lsquo;Look, it&rsquo;s in the CBA and we just have to live with it for the next three years,&rdquo; said NHL Players&rsquo; Association director Paul Kelly.</p><p>&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t happy with that and I wasn&rsquo;t prepared to sit by and just accept it on its current terms. The league was justifiably reluctant to make a change&hellip;but at the end of the day, we were able to negotiate through it.&rdquo;</p><p>And it&rsquo;s that spirit of cooperation that has both sides confident the next round of CBA talks won&rsquo;t come down to a last-minute stare-down with a season hanging in the balance.</p><p>&ldquo;I believe that during the three-and-a-half years of the current agreement, the NHL and NHLPA have evidenced a far healthier collective bargaining agreement relationship than in the past,&rdquo; said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, &ldquo;and I hope and expect that will continue in the future.&rdquo;</p><p>Which is not to say you should expect to see Kelly and Daly always singing from the same song book. There are parts of the document that are badly flawed and storm clouds are brewing. Some GMs are convinced the owners will demand another rollback, likely in the 24-percent range that the players accepted last time as a foundation for a new agreement. The partnership between the league and the players, while better, still needs work and the players want more of a voice in the NHL&rsquo;s affairs. In fact, both Kelly and player relations director Glenn Healy have visited broadcasters in an attempt to give hockey a better television presence.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012216/9219291-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="1571" height="2447"><figcaption class="caption-body">Do long-term players such as Scott Gomez face another rollback? <span class="photo-credit">(LECLAIRE: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>But a lot of work remains to be done. The players have no say in expansion issues or the fact the league continues to insist on keeping teams in struggling markets.</p><p>&ldquo;If (the league) called me today and said, &lsquo;Paul, we&rsquo;re taking Phoenix and we&rsquo;re moving them to Kansas City,&rsquo; or, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re taking Florida and moving them to Las Vegas&rsquo;&hellip;We don&rsquo;t have direct say over a number of issues and we&rsquo;d like to, in fact, maximize that in the years to come.&rdquo;</p><p>Another hot-button issue going forward is the escrow payments the players make to the league to ensure they only receive a predetermined percentage of revenues. There have been rumblings from the rank-and-file that the players would like to see a cap on the amount the league withholds, but even Kelly acknowledges that won&rsquo;t happen. The league currently withholds 13.5 percent of the players&rsquo; salaries, an amount that is expected to go up in the second half of the season. The league withheld 9.5 percent last season, which the players ultimately had returned to them.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011992/9219284-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="926" height="667"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gary Bettman and NHLPA boss Paul Kelly have some good vibes going. <span class="photo-credit">(KELLY: LIBOR FOJTIK/ISIFA/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;The math simply wouldn&rsquo;t work and I know for a fact it wouldn&rsquo;t be acceptable to the league,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;Capping it, I don&rsquo;t think, structurally, is possible.&rdquo;</p><p>Daly agreed, saying the league would not want to &ldquo;remove or alter&hellip;a fundamental pillar of a bargained-for system.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-02

Peace and harmony

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN DIXON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031003/9219381-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Nicklas Backstrom has juked any potential sophomore jinx. <span class="photo-credit">(BACKSTROM: LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>L</span>OOK AROUND THE NHL and you&rsquo;ll find just as much evidence of a sophomore surge as a second-year hex. In Boston, the Bruins are benefiting from the stunning play of David Krejci and the accelerated development of Milan Lucic, both second-year NHLers.</p><p>Krejci, a 22-year-old center who scored 27 points in 56 games as a rookie last year, was the highest-scoring sophomore at the all-star break with 17 goals and 50 points in 46 games. Lucic&rsquo;s leap hasn&rsquo;t been that pronounced, but the scrappy left winger could well hit the 20-goal and 50-point plateaus despite missing some time with a shoulder injury.</p><p>The 20-year-old Lucic said knowing the lay of the NHL land helps players move forward in Year 2.</p><p>&ldquo;After your first season, you know you&rsquo;re able to be a factor in the game and you get that confidence,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re more mentally strong and you&rsquo;re mentally confident, you&rsquo;re more positive playing in your second year.</p><p>&ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve already been through it for one year, it helps out, big-time.&rdquo;</p><p>The experience he gained as a rookie is clearly helping Washington&rsquo;s <b>Nicklas Backstrom.</b> The super sophomore may be overshadowed by the Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin show, but Backstrom was a point-a-game player with 12 goals and 48 points through 48 contests.</p><p>Patrick Kane won the 2008 Calder Trophy for which fellow Blackhawk Jonathan Toews, 20, and Backstrom, 21, were also nominated. The 20-year-old Kane sustained an ankle injury that contributed to a January slump, but the slick right winger was still a good bet to follow up his 72-point freshman campaign with an 80-point season in Year 2.</p><p>Toews, meanwhile, endured an all-out sophomore jinx early on before finally finding his footing. Chicago&rsquo;s captain didn&rsquo;t score his first goal of the season until his 13th game, but had 13 tallies through 44 contests and could still hit the 30-goal barrier with a strong finish.</p><p>An electric end to the season is about the only thing that can salvage Sam Gagner&rsquo;s second spin through the NHL.</p><p>The sixth overall pick in 2007 surprised many by making the Oilers last season and contributed a healthy 49 points in 79 games as a teenage rookie. However, Gagner&rsquo;s game has gone to the dogs this season. The 19-year-old had just four goals in 43 games and might finish with fewer than 30 points this year.</p><h2><b>Bling Bling with Craig Anderson</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012185/9219374-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="837" height="265"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04698/9219367-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="230" height="277"></div><p>2001 Z06 Corvette /$46,855 base After signing his first pro contract, Anderson bought a Z06 Vette.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just an extremely fast street car&hellip;it&rsquo;s just amazing,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>While stopping pucks in Norfolk with the AHL&rsquo;s Admirals, he must have also made people stop and stare. The Z06 goes zero to 60 mph in four seconds.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-03

Twice as nice

<h2><b>FIVE</b></h2><p>The wins always come for Detroit, but <b>Chris Osgood&rsquo;s</b> .883 save percentage doesn&rsquo;t help.</p><h2><b>FOUR</b></h2><p>There is no defense for <b>Vesa Toskala</b> in Toronto - well, there is, but they&rsquo;re out of position.</p><h2><b>THREE</b></h2><p>It will only help Nashville&rsquo;s cause if <b>Dan Ellis</b> starts to push rookie Pekka Rinne for the No. 1 job.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021583/9219412-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="519" height="716"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TURCO: SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>TWO</b></h2><p><b>Marty</b>&nbsp;<b>Turco</b> must up his .885 save percentage quickly &ndash; it&rsquo;s just so un-Dallas of him.</p><h2><b>ONE</b></h2><p>Sure, the fans voted him in, but <b>J-S Giguere</b> has not played like an all-star this season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-02

Starting from 5

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012129/9219457-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(THORNTON: DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031072/9219464-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="207" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>HE BOSTON BRUINS have proved beyond any doubt this season they are a better team now than they were with Joe Thornton in their lineup. The real question, though, is are they better now <i>because</i> Joe Thornton isn&rsquo;t in their lineup?</p><p>It&rsquo;s amazing we&rsquo;re even able to have that discussion just a little more than three years after the blockbuster trade that sent Thornton to the San Jose Sharks from the Bruins. At the time of the deal, hockey pundits everywhere vowed it would go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history with the Bruins finally being on the &ldquo;they got screwed&rdquo; end of the equation. After all, it would have only been fair, seeing as the B&rsquo;s have been at the winning end of some of the most ridiculously one-sided trades ever (see Esposito, Phil and Neely, Cam).</p><p>But with the Bruins and Sharks at the top of their respective conferences coming out of the all-star break, the trade brokered by former Bruins GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell can easily be seen as a deal that strengthened both teams. When the Sharks acquired Thornton on Nov. 30, 2005, they were in last place in the Pacific Division. They immediately went on a six-game winning streak and since Thornton&rsquo;s arrival have been 170-70-27 (.687 winning percentage) and were tied with the Bruins for the NHL&rsquo;s best record at the all-star break.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021665/9219450-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="1623" height="1208"><figcaption class="caption-body">Zdeno Chara has proven more than capable of being Boston&rsquo;s big man.<span class="photo-credit">(CHARA: BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES;)</span></figcaption></div><p>For his part, Thornton has scored 83 goals and 357 points since coming to San Jose, which represents the highest total of any NHL player in that time span. The fact he went on to become the first player in league history to win the Hart and Art Ross Trophies in a season in which he was traded only added to the perception the Bruins were fleeced in the deal.</p><p>But here we are with the Bruins keeping in lockstep with the Sharks in the race for the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy. Would they be where they are now had they not traded Thornton? Almost certainly not, so you&rsquo;d have to come to the conclusion that they are much better because they traded him &ndash; for several reasons.</p><p>First of all, O&rsquo;Connell was roundly criticized after making the deal for negotiating exclusively with the Sharks and not seeking a better deal elsewhere. But as it turns out, the Bruins ended up getting decent value for Thornton. Marco Sturm will never be confused with Big Joe in terms of being an impact player, but he has been a very significant contributor when healthy. In fact, with 84 goals for the Bruins since the trade, he has scored once more than Thornton.</p><p>Not surprisingly, O&rsquo;Connell, now a pro scout with the Los Angeles Kings, takes the high road on this one.</p><p>&ldquo;The Bruins have a really good young team,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and part of the reason for that was because of the job we did.&rdquo;</p><p>The Bruins also received defenseman Brad Stuart and fourth-liner Wayne Primeau in the deal, both of whom they later flipped to the Calgary Flames for the very useful Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. The combined salaries of Sturm, Kobasew and Ference is just a little more than the $7.2 million the Sharks are paying Thornton.</p><p>But it was the dominos that fell after the trade that made the Bruins a contender. Even though Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs signed off on the Thornton deal at the time, it ultimately was the tipping point that resulted in O&rsquo;Connell being fired four months later. O&rsquo;Connell certainly didn&rsquo;t do himself any favors by losing Mike Knuble, Sergei Gonchar and Brian Rolston for nothing, then using all his salary cap room to sign the likes of Alexei Zhamnov and Shawn McEachern, but it was the Thornton trade that truly doomed him in Boston.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Marco Sturm has one more goal than Thornton since the deal</b></blockquote><p>So if O&rsquo;Connell doesn&rsquo;t make the Thornton trade, perhaps he doesn&rsquo;t get fired, or at least not as soon as he did. If they don&rsquo;t axe O&rsquo;Connell, maybe the Bruins don&rsquo;t get Peter Chiarelli out of Ottawa and they don&rsquo;t continue the rebuild.</p><p>Certainly if they don&rsquo;t trade Thornton, they don&rsquo;t get defenseman Zdeno Chara. First of all, the B&rsquo;s probably wouldn&rsquo;t have the cap room to pay two players north of $7 million on longterm deals. Second, if not for Chiarelli&rsquo;s history with Chara in Ottawa, there&rsquo;s a good chance he doesn&rsquo;t sign with the Bruins in the summer of 2006. The Kings offered Chara more money and several teams offered as much, but Chara chose the Bruins.</p><p>So are the Bruins better off with Chara over Thornton? Well, both players have holes in their playoff resumes through which you could drive a Zamboni, but the general feeling was the Bruins were not going to seriously contend for the Stanley Cup with Thornton as the heartbeat of the team. Too much Mike Modano and not enough Mark Messier. He is surrounded by far better veterans with more championship pedigree in San Jose than he ever was in Boston. And for all Thornton has accomplished, he has yet to prove he can do more than control the puck and make nice plays from the periphery in the post-season.</p><p>Chara has become the anchor of the Bruins defense corps. His shutdown capabilities have improved and he&rsquo;s good for about 50 points a season. More than that, though, the Bruins feel better about their chances with Chara as their centerpiece than they did with Thornton.</p><p>Chiarelli, meanwhile, has morphed into one of the best GMs in the league. After a disastrous coaching hire in Dave Lewis, Chiarelli made the most of his mulligan and hired Claude Julien, one of the best in the NHL. Not having Thornton also forced Chiarelli to go out and get playmaking center Marc Savard, who replaced Thornton more effectively than anyone ever thought he would. There is little doubt that under Julien and assistant coach Craig Ramsey, Savard has become a less selfish, more mature all-round player.</p><p>And if the Bruins don&rsquo;t trade Thornton, perhaps they don&rsquo;t finish as badly as they do in 2005-06 and they miss out on the chance to select Phil Kessel, a No. 1 overall prospect who tumbled down to No. 5 in the 2006 entry draft.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011899/9219443-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="1576" height="1502"><figcaption class="caption-body">Without the Thornton trade, Milan Lucic (right) wouldn&rsquo;t have Marc Savard on his line. <span class="photo-credit">(SPORTS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><p>So, it&rsquo;s safe to say much of what has happened in Boston would not have transpired had the B&rsquo;s not traded Thornton, something the Tampa Bay Lightning might want to consider as it weighs whether or not to deal Vincent Lecavalier.</p><p>To be sure, though, history has judged O&rsquo;Connell harshly. The trade that ultimately cost him his job has not turned out nearly as badly as most predicted it would. And a big part of the reason why the Bruins are in their lofty perch is because of O&rsquo;Connell&rsquo;s job at the NHL entry draft and his signing of goalie Tim Thomas for just over $3 million for three years in a deal that was considered laughable for all the wrong reasons.</p><p>But none of this happens if O&rsquo;Connell doesn&rsquo;t pull the trigger on the Thornton trade. And for that, Boston Bruins fans should thank him.</p><h2><b>The Trade</b></h2><h3><b>THE SHARK</b></h3><p><i>Joe Thornton, San Jose (2005-present)</i></p><p>357 Pts (267 GP/1.34 pts per game)</p><h3><b>THE BRUINS</b></h3><p><i>Marco Sturm, Boston (2005-present)</i></p><p><i>Brad Stuart, Boston (2005-07)</i></p><p><i>Wayne Primeau, Boston (2005-07)</i></p><p><i>Chuck Kobasew, Boston (2007-present)</i></p><p><i>Andrew Ference, Boston (2007-present)</i></p><p>320 Pts (648 GP/0.49 pts per game)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

Fair trade

<div class="byline">Jay Greenberg</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021577/9219523-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(LEN REDKOLES/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012105/9219530-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="206" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span>EFF CARTER AND MIKE RICHARDS were separated by 13 places in the first round of the 2003 NHL entry draft &ndash; and by practically nothing else since.</p><p>&ldquo;Same draft year, world junior together, won a Calder Cup together,&rdquo; Richards said. They also struggled during the proud Flyers&rsquo; worst season ever together, rebounded in one season to become Eastern Conference finalists together and now have Philadelphia challenging for the Atlantic Division lead together.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to have someone in same position as you,&rdquo; Richards said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been able to draw from each other.&rdquo;</p><p>Best of company are the two Philadelphia centers. But if Daniel Briere, delayed again in his return from abdominal muscle surgery to a team that has gone 23-8-6 without him, makes it back this season, three will not be a crowd. In fact, the crowds of checkers that accumulate around the team&rsquo;s top center come playoff time would be alleviated.</p><p>&ldquo;I said from Day 1 that one of the reasons I signed here was the feeling those two guys were going to be great,&rdquo; Briere said. &ldquo;And I think they got great a little quicker than everyone expected. If I play in the middle, we can have three lines that will be hopefully tough to match up against.&rdquo;</p><p>When Briere plays, only the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal, go as deep through the middle as Philadelphia.</p><p><b>Jeff Carter,</b> an 11th overall pick, hits the blueline with as much speed as practically any player in the NHL, shoots a puck heavier than practically all of them, and, having already surpassed last season&rsquo;s total of 29, is battling Alexander Ovechkin for the NHL goal-scoring lead.</p><p>&ldquo;Hopefully, it will be a recurring thing,&rdquo; said Carter, never shy to shoot, now stronger in front of the net and more accurate from wherever he lets it go.</p><p>Richards, drafted 24th overall and projected as a tenacious checker, has developed into a top-20 scorer and top-handful leader. Briere, signed in 2007 partly to help Carter and Richards grow into themselves, was smart enough to recognize they also could let him be himself, which, even at $8 million a year, is basically a glorified power play specialist.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice not to be relied on too much,&rdquo; Richards said. &ldquo;Different guys can step up.&rdquo;</p><p>You can count the truly dominant centers in today&rsquo;s NHL on one hand. The talent is spread thin and therefore so is the patience of owners, fans and GMs with big-ticket players who prove not good enough to carry their clubs.</p><p>Carter and Richards are still on the rise, so we&rsquo;ll see just how far above &ldquo;good&rdquo; they become. But with all three signed through 2010-11, the open window of contention for the Flyers is in their numbers, meaning not one guy in this Flying Wedge up the middle has too much responsibility.</p><p>&ldquo;In November, the Richards-Simon Gagne-Mike Knuble line was one of the best in hockey and in December you could say the same about the Carter-Joffrey Lupul-Scott Hartnell line,&rdquo; said Philadelphia coach John Stevens.</p><p>&ldquo;Jeff and Mike kill penalties, Danny doesn&rsquo;t. Danny could play some wing, more likely will man the middle, allowing us to reduce the minutes of Richards, playing 24-25 a night, almost too much.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&lsquo;I think they got great a little quicker than anyone expected&rsquo;</b></blockquote><p>The Flyers need not just a healthy Briere, but one more big forward, probably one more defensive presence to guard the front of the net, and ultimately &ndash; and forever seemingly &ndash; a big-time goaltender. Martin Biron won two playoff rounds for Philadelphia last spring and, eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, has to show he can do it again to warrant a long commitment.</p><p>&ldquo;We like our team,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;Our defense has evolved to where we are solid with four power play guys back there and we have balanced scoring up front with enough grit.</p><p>&ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t know if we really know where we are until we have Danny back in the lineup.&rdquo;</p><p>Exploratory surgery on Briere might tell the Flyers they won&rsquo;t get him back this year, one less poison to pick by an opponent, one more test of just how much, how soon, Richards and Carter can handle.</p><p>It was never the plan.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011871/9219516-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="316" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03932/9219509-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="351" height="185"></div><p>Two teams, the Flyers and Red Wings, have six players on pace for 25-plus goals this season</p><p>Jeff Carter</p><p>Mike Richards</p><p>Simon Gagne</p><p>Scott Hartnell</p><p>Mike Knuble</p><p>Joffrey Lupul</p><p><b>6</b></p><p>Pavel Datsyuk</p><p>Marian Hossa</p><p>Henrik Zetterberg</p><p>Jiri Hudler</p><p>Johan Franzen</p><p>Tomas Holmstrom</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021332/9219502-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="331" height="185"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04693/9219495-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="353" height="185"></div><p>Two more teams, the Flames and Blackhawks, have five players on pace for 25-plus goals this season</p><p>Jarome Iginla</p><p>Mike Cammalleri</p><p>Daymond Langko</p><p>Rene Bourque</p><p>David Moss</p><p><b>5</b></p><p>Patrick Kane</p><p>Martin Havlat</p><p>Kris Versteeg</p><p>Patrick Sharp</p><p>Jonathan Toews<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-02

Middle Men

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011882/9219610-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011759/9219603-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="1206" height="853"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>It&rsquo;s a rare Saturday night when Ron MacLean out-suits Don Cherry.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES/NHLI)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>First off, what kind of kid were you growing up?</b></p><p>I was very shy and to this day I&rsquo;m pretty shy. Everybody thinks I was a good car salesman and all, but I was shy and very quiet&hellip;and a loner.</p><p><b>You grew up in the Depression.</b></p><p>Our family during the Depression was pretty good, actually. My father was a master electrician, he worked a lot of hours, but we were OK. It was a tough time, but we never seemed to want for anything. We were pretty lucky.</p><p><b>Do you think that era influenced your outlook on life at all?</b></p><p>No, I led a very sheltered life. My father never gave me heck, it wasn&rsquo;t until later on in life that I became bitter, later on in my hockey career. My hockey career was really good, I played Jr. B and then went to the (Ontario Hockey Association&rsquo;s) Barrie Flyers, won the Memorial Cup and then turned pro and that&rsquo;s when things started to go wrong. I broke my shoulder and got a bad cut&hellip;I was only a kid, 21, 22 and they sent me to the Siberia of hockey, they sent me to Springfield. There was nothing like it in all of sports.</p><p>It was so bad in Springfield that guys had it written in their contracts that they couldn&rsquo;t be sent there because of (coach) Eddie Shore. They sent them down there like it was a prison, I kid you not, and they&rsquo;d have to serve their sentence for two or three weeks. I turned bitter and little did I know I&rsquo;d spend the next 20 years in Siberia.</p><p><b>How was it bad under Eddie Shore?</b></p><p>He is the guy they have the Players&rsquo; Association for. He would suspend guys for &ldquo;indifferent play&rdquo; and they hadn&rsquo;t played in a month, just to get the payroll down. He sent me, on Christmas Eve, to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, he just said, &ldquo;Go.&rdquo; I said, &ldquo;Where is Trois-Rivieres?&rdquo; and he said, &ldquo;Go through Connecticut, Vermont and when you hit the Canadian border, turn right.&rdquo;</p><p>He didn&rsquo;t care. He didn&rsquo;t care about families, he was an absolute Darth Vader. He made Brian Kilrea play with a broken jaw, made him practise with cracked ribs. He told Georgie Wood not to go down on a shot as a goalie and Woods kept going down, so he tied a rope around his neck and tied it to the crossbar. That gives you an illustration of what went on.</p><p>Two guys got suspended for indifferent play and Brian Kilrea went and saw him and Brian got suspended, everybody got suspended, so the team went on strike and the NHL was afraid that anti-trust laws would force them out of hockey and that was the start of Alan Eagleson and the players&rsquo; union. You were slaves. He had me and Duane Rupp skate for four-and-a-half hours and you had no recourse. If you wanted to eat, that&rsquo;s what you had to do. And that&rsquo;s how I became the Don Cherry I am now.</p><p><b>That one NHL game you played for Boston against Montreal in the 1955 playoffs as a 21-year-old, what do you remember about that night?</b></p><p>Well, it&rsquo;s a funny thing I remember about that game. Rocket Richard had already been suspended for hitting Hal Laycoe over the head. And here Laycoe is playing for us and (coach) Milt Schmidt told him he&rsquo;d have to stand while Richard was honored and Laycoe went crazy, throwing sticks around the dressing room. I was in the starting lineup and remember Bernie Geoffrion won the scoring title over Richard. And when Bernie came on the ice, they booed him. Then Rocket came on the ice &ndash; I think the team gave him a (clothes) iron or something &ndash; and he got a standing ovation and I&rsquo;m thinking, &ldquo;Does this go on all the time in the NHL?&rdquo;</p><p>I took a regular shift in the game and I did pretty good. They had plans for me &ndash; they traded Warren Godfrey, I think, and they told me not to play baseball over the summer and I played baseball and broke my shoulder. I came to camp and I was out of shape and I didn&rsquo;t make it and little did I know that was my last shot at the NHL. Next 20 years in the minors.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>They called the Broad Street we were tougher Philadelphia Bullies, but than them.</b></blockquote><p><b>Did you keep anything from the game?</b></p><p>No, but I remember my mother came down on the train with my Aunt Tilly. She had a bag of cookies and cakes for me and I remember the players making fun of me, saying I looked like a refugee with my sack, but they ate all my cookies and cakes anyway.</p><p>My greatest claim to fame was knocking Jean Beliveau down. Forty years later we were talking and I reminded him and he said, &ldquo;Yeah, we were on the bench saying, &lsquo;Look out for that Don Cherry.&rsquo; &rdquo; <i>(laughing)</i></p><p><b>Obviously you coached Boston during a very special time. What was it like being there in the &rsquo;70s?</b></p><p>I remember walking into the Boston Garden early one day before anybody got there, just looking around and thinking, &ldquo;How lucky am I to be here?&rdquo; I was living in Rochester at the time when I got the Bruins job and my son, Tim, said, &ldquo;Does this mean I get to see Bobby Orr?&rdquo; and I said, &ldquo;Yeah, me too.&rdquo;</p><p>I went to all the camps as a player and I saw all the great players, but when I saw Bobby Orr it was like the old trainer Sonny Fitzsimmons seeing Secretariat for the first time. He was unbelievable. I was so enthralled I went down to the pro shop and got a poster of him and had him sign it for my son. I was excited. And to think, three years from then, I was coaching Bobby Orr. It&rsquo;s really hard to believe.</p><p>You look down the bench and you see Phil (Esposito) and Bobby and here I am having played one NHL game&hellip;I didn&rsquo;t do a very good job the first year, I let the players &ndash; not Bobby &ndash; tell me, &ldquo;Hey, wait till the bell rings, we&rsquo;ll be there,&rdquo; and we had 100 points and we got beat out. Bobby had a tremendous year &ndash; 46 goals, 89 assists, plus-124 and when we got beat out he told me, &ldquo;I never played good for you.&rdquo; <i>(laughing)</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011584/9219596-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="937" height="2301"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>After that, we had the toughest team. We had a very intimidating club. They called (Philadelphia) the Broad Street Bullies, but we were tougher than them. We took over by intimidation. We had monsters and the rink was only 185 feet long. You couldn&rsquo;t move in the building. Dave Schultz said in his book <i>The Hammer</i> that he couldn&rsquo;t sleep the night before he played in the Boston Garden. People in Boston loved us because we were tough. The city of Boston at the time was tough, it was all Irish and Italian and that&rsquo;s what they loved.</p><p><b>When did you first realize Coach&rsquo;s Corner had become something bigger?</b></p><p>There was a guy named Al Stewart and I had just been fired by Colorado &ndash; I did some stuff in Boston with Dan Kelly, but I didn&rsquo;t really care because I was coaching Boston (at that time) so I had a devil-may-care attitude &ndash; but he asked me to come down and do something.</p><p>It was structured and it was awful. You could have had a million guys do it, but they wanted me back. So I come back and I remember the one thing I said, it was about (Bruins winger) Don Marcotte. I said, &ldquo;Marcotte picks up the wing, but he played for a great coach,&rdquo; and I could see people liked that, eh? So I added some more stuff. One day I saw myself on TV when I was still with the Bruins and I didn&rsquo;t care because I had another job and I said to myself, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how I&rsquo;ve gotta be.&rdquo; They had asked me, &ldquo;Why do you want to win the Stanley Cup?&rdquo; and I said, &ldquo;Well, I need the money.&rdquo; I thought, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gotta do that again.&rdquo; I took a chance, because I had no money and I was speaking at banquets all over the place, six in five days.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011519/9219589-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="1532" height="1049"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>After a great five years in Boston, Cherry coached lowly Colorado in &rsquo;79-80.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>(CBC) tried to fire me the first month and the producer, Ralph Mellanby said, &ldquo;If he goes, I go,&rdquo; so Mellanby saved my job.</p><p>I kept pushing the envelope more and more.</p><p><b>Speaking of pushing the envelope, do you regret anything you&rsquo;ve said on Coach&rsquo;s Corner?</b></p><p>I only regret one thing. Randy Gregg &ndash; Dr. Randy Gregg &ndash; was a defenseman for the Oilers and he really botched a breakaway and I go on and said, &ldquo;How would you like to have this guy operate on your heart, with those hands?&rdquo; My mother called me up and just ripped me to shreds. She said, &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t get personal,&rdquo; and I&rsquo;ve never gotten personal since. That&rsquo;s the only thing I regret.</p><p>I know a lot of people say I shouldn&rsquo;t have called Alpo Suhonen &ldquo;dog food,&rdquo; but I don&rsquo;t regret that.</p><p><b>With European names, do you mispronounce them on purpose?</b></p><p>No, I just don&rsquo;t bother learning them. I should, but I don&rsquo;t really care. It&rsquo;s not an act, Pocahosky (Toronto Maple Leafs winger Alexei Ponikarovsky) is Pocahosky.</p><p><b>Would you ever stop doing Coach&rsquo;s Corner?</b></p><p>No. I really believe that one day I&rsquo;ll be fired, there&rsquo;s no doubt about that. They&rsquo;ll come and say they want to go in a different direction. I have so much fun. I look forward to Saturdays like you wouldn&rsquo;t believe &ndash; nobody calls me, nobody bothers me, it&rsquo;s like I&rsquo;m coaching. I have my steak, I have my tea, I have to have my nap &ndash; Ron MacLean knows not to phone me in the afternoon because I have to have my nap. I can hardly wait to get to the studio or to the rink in the playoffs, I just love it. In the playoffs we&rsquo;re on the road, MacLean and I have fun drinking, we drink a lot.</p><p>No, they&rsquo;d have to say I&rsquo;m finished, unless I got sick or something. I would never quit. I shouldn&rsquo;t say this, but I&rsquo;d do it for nothing. I get just as nervous going down there as I did when I was coaching. Once the light goes on, I&rsquo;m fine. It&rsquo;s like game time. If I ever get fired, it won&rsquo;t be a slip of the tongue. Whatever I say, I mean.</p><p><b>Is there anybody who could replace you?</b></p><p>No. I&rsquo;d hate to be the next guy to come on at the end of the first period. When you&rsquo;re on for 28 years, it would be tough. I think if MacLean quit, I&rsquo;d quit, too. We&rsquo;ve been together too long and to do (the show) with another guy, it wouldn&rsquo;t be the same. But he&rsquo;s got a five-year contract, I&rsquo;ve got a five-minute contract.</p><p>The first time I met the current executive director (of CBC Sports), Scott Moore, I was having my makeup done. He said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Scott Moore, would you like your pink slip now or later?&rdquo; And I said, &ldquo;Well, a lot of guys have tried.&rdquo; The next time I picked up the newspaper he said, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about Don, he&rsquo;s like a thoroughbred. I&rsquo;m going to ride him till he breaks down and then shoot him.&rdquo;</p><p>The other guys just wanted to fire me. We&rsquo;ve got a strange situation, but I think Scott understands me.</p><p><b>Is the NHL better today for bringing Europeans over in your mind?</b></p><p>Well, certainly, when you have guys like (Henrik) Zetterberg, (Pavel) Datysuk, (Borje) Salming&hellip;I could go down the list, there&rsquo;s a ton of them. (Nicklas) Lidstrom, Pavel Bure &ndash; he was my favorite European. My concern is you&rsquo;ve got European guys over here that are getting 18, 17, 16 goals and taking our jobs. Let&rsquo;s face it, Europeans, their job is to score goals and get points. They don&rsquo;t block shots &ndash; well, a few of them, very few of them fight and very few of them hit, but they can score. When I see Europeans being sent to the American League with big contracts and our kids don&rsquo;t get a chance&hellip;Toronto brought up (Russianborn winger Nikolai) Kulemin again and the guy did nothing when he was here before.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011236/9219582-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="1169" height="781"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Cherry spent a good portion of his playing career in Rochester.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)</span></figcaption></div><p>When I see guys like him, they&rsquo;re the guys I have trouble with. Bates Battaglia &ndash; he never gets a shot. He can bang, hit, get you 16 goals easy if you give him a shot, but no, because they have money invested in them. That&rsquo;s the guys I have a problem with. I don&rsquo;t have a problem with the Datsyuks, Pavel Bures or Lidstroms.</p><p><b>If you started an NHL team today and had your pick of skaters, who is your centerpiece?</b></p><p>It&rsquo;s a real toss-up. One would be Marc Savard, the other would be Joe Thornton. They&rsquo;re my type of guys.</p><p>People will say, &ldquo;What about Ovechkin?&rdquo; Ovechkin is probably the best player offensively in the world, but I have to coach my type of my club.</p><p>I&rsquo;m not saying he&rsquo;s not my type of guy, but I wouldn&rsquo;t build a club around him.</p><p><b>There&rsquo;s a lot of talk right now about the Sun Belt teams because of the economy. Do you think 30 teams is too much in the NHL?</b></p><p>I hope the commissioner (Gary Bettman) doesn&rsquo;t get mad at me, but back when they expanded into Atlanta and Florida, Nashville and Phoenix, I said they were making a big mistake, because I played in Phoenix&hellip;</p><p><b>You played in Tulsa, too.</b></p><p>I played and I coached in more American cities than anyone in the history of the game because I played in the American League, I played in the Western League and the Central League. I said it will be an attraction, it will be a novelty for a couple years and it will wear off. It&rsquo;s just not hockey people.</p><p>Look at the Florida Panthers. They&rsquo;re doing pretty good right now and no one&rsquo;s going. You&rsquo;ve got to go where people love hockey. I know the NHL doesn&rsquo;t like to hear that stuff, but they don&rsquo;t love hockey down there, it&rsquo;s football country.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011405/9219575-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="1035" height="1568"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Cherry wants to be remembered as a coach who loved his players.</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MARK WILSON)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>If you could change anything that happened before your 75th birthday (on Feb. 5), what would it be?</b></p><p>One of my biggest disappointments in life was that when I was done playing hockey, I didn&rsquo;t have a trade, I didn&rsquo;t have an education and I never had a job.</p><p>I remember how low I felt. I was the lowest of the low and never felt that bad. If I had to do it all over again I would have at least gotten a trade to fall back on. I remember being with my wife Rose, three months unemployed and I&rsquo;ve told his story before, but I said to the Lord, &ldquo;Is this it? Am I finished at age 36?&rdquo; I mean, I was really finished &ndash; I couldn&rsquo;t have gotten a job sweeping floors &ndash; and something told me to make a comeback in hockey.</p><p>Three years after that, I was coaching Bobby Orr.</p><p><b>Can tragedy be avoided in hockey?</b></p><p>No. Imagine me down in the AHL, I&rsquo;ve seen awful things, guys hurt, screaming&hellip;I don&rsquo;t know why, but I was one of those guys that when someone got hurt I would have to go in and hold his hand. You know the funny thing? They&rsquo;re always yelling for their mother. It&rsquo;s a violent sport. It&rsquo;s fast and it&rsquo;s tough.</p><p>All you have to do is look at Don Sanderson, he loved hockey, his family loved hockey. But no, it can&rsquo;t be avoided.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>Something told me to make a comeback in hockey. Three years after that, I was coaching Bobby Orr.</b></blockquote><p><b>When people are looking back at hockey 100 years from now, when people think of Don Cherry, what do you think your legacy will be?</b></p><p>I know one guy at the CBC told me his legacy was to fire me, but he didn&rsquo;t and I don&rsquo;t know where he is now, but I don&rsquo;t know&hellip;sharp dresser? I know I was a players&rsquo; coach, that&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m in trouble with (Toronto coach) Ron Wilson all the time. I can&rsquo;t stand the way he talks about his players.</p><p>But I would say, &ldquo;He pays his round &ndash; that was very important in the minors &ndash; and he was a coach that loved the players.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s good enough for me.</p><p><b>Final question: what do you want for your birthday?</b></p><p>You&rsquo;re going to laugh at this, but I really love goldfish, I&rsquo;ve got a big tank and I only have two. And right now I&rsquo;m waiting for, from Hong Kong, a beautiful Lionhead Oranda.</p><p>It sounds strange, but that&rsquo;s the truth. <i>(laughing)</i></p><h2><b>Coach Cherry</b></h2><h3><b>Don Cherry&rsquo;s winning percentage in the NHL</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-021038/9219568-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="319" height="184"></div><p><b>Boston,</b> 1974-79 (231-105-64) <b>.658</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03784/9219561-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="350" height="183"></div><p><b>Colorado,</b> 1979-80 (19-48-13) <b>.319</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DONALD S. CHERRY

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03696/9219655-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Former Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher spent many a night in Maple Leaf Gardens. <span class="photo-credit">(B. BENNETT/BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02977/9219662-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="207" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>T HAS BEEN 10 YEARS since Maple Leaf Gardens hosted its last NHL game &ndash; and 10 years since one of the most magical hockey-themed nights of my life.</p><p>Fate smiled on me right from the beginning of the end of the Carlton Street Cashbox: The Leafs held a lottery for the last block of unsold tickets for the game on closing night and one of the 10 postcards I mailed in got picked.</p><p>So on Feb. 13, 1999, my good friend Keith Hightower and I put on blazers and jeans and headed down to the rink to sit in the second-last row of the greys &ndash; completely appropriate, given that most of my previous visits were in the same vicinity &ndash; to watch the Buds take on the Chicago Blackhawks.</p><p>I&rsquo;d been to the Gardens dozens of times before that night &ndash; to Leafs and Marlies games and Easter Seals skate-a-thons with <b>Bobby Orr</b> as a kid; to pro wrestling matches and Eddie Murphy comedy shows as a teenager; to concerts headlined by Oasis and Radiohead as a twentysomething.</p><p>To me, the building itself was no aesthetic marvel. It was unfailingly grimy and sticky and cramped, and it harkened back to a more, er, rustic era (who knew horse troughs could both hydrate horses as well as dehydrate hosers?). But it had an odd charm that shone through despite the voodoo lockdown Leafs owner and possible crazed sorcerer Harold Ballard put on the team&rsquo;s contention chances when I watched them in the &rsquo;70s and &rsquo;80s.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011353/9219648-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="627" height="457"><figcaption class="caption-body">A young Bobby Orr and a younger Adam Proteau (right) at an Easter Seals skate-a-thon.</figcaption></div><p>The final game itself was a letdown &ndash; again, probably apt considering the team&rsquo;s history of disappointment and disarray during my childhood &ndash; as the Hawks cruised to a 6-2 win.</p><p>Little did we know, the game&rsquo;s end was when the real fun would begin.</p><p>Before I continue, allow me a brief comment on the many evils of overzealous alcohol consumption. Sure, there&rsquo;s the initial lessening of inhibitions and easy laughs when you start out; however, sooner or later, you&rsquo;re bound to turn into Will Ferrell in <i>Old School</i>, streaking down a street somewhere as the world around you starts to spin wildly. Beware, kids.</p><p>Back to the tale: I wouldn&rsquo;t say Keith and I got a wee bit drunk during the game, but I&rsquo;d bet all who saw us would say so, as would a properly administered blood-alcohol test. But we weren&rsquo;t obscenely inebriated &ndash; just enough to exude that heightened sense of confidence that&rsquo;s led to countless last-minute marriages and the majority of big-haired metal albums.</p><p>That confidence was crucial as the post-game celebrations unfolded. Brimming with liquid courage as we were, we set out to meet a friend working as an usher behind the end blues section of the Gardens.</p><p>The usher was nowhere to be found after the game, but she wasn&rsquo;t alone in her absence. In fact, there wasn&rsquo;t a trace of security anywhere and anything that wasn&rsquo;t completely nailed down was being pulled off the walls as if people were searching for hidden safe compartments behind them.</p><p>We settled on commemorating our first and last visit to the private box area by helping ourselves to a six-pack of Blue Light beer each, which we gently placed in our plastic white-and-purple Toronto Raptors bags before venturing on.</p><p>Quickly, we came across a sign that pointed toward the catwalk leading to the famous gondola where the dulcet voices of the Hewitt clan once cried out.</p><p>Keith and I looked at each other and &ndash; and I cannot stress this enough &ndash; buoyed on by our altered state, decided the gondola was where we wanted to be.</p><p>Astoundingly, nobody gave us so much as a second look as we wandered around the press box. So, sufficiently stoked by our initial trespassing episode, we traveled down to the Gardens&rsquo; main level, which by now had been cleared of most of the <i>hoi polloi</i>.</p><p>Former Maple Leafs GM Gord Stellick was hanging around the gold seats and kindly signed my program, but other than that, the joint was virtually deserted except for a steady stream of people we watched walk under the gold seats, make a sharp right and disappear into a room I couldn&rsquo;t quite see.</p><p>Naturally, that was our new target destination. By this point, we had figured out the golden rule of moving unmolested among society&rsquo;s blue-blooded and upper crust: Always look like you&rsquo;re supposed to be there and nobody will presume you&rsquo;re not.</p><p>You see, 95 percent of the time, the security people in playgrounds of the wealthy are abjectly petrified of challenging anyone with an aura of belonging, just in case that someone turns out to be a child of privilege slumming it in blazers and jeans. (The other five percent of the time, they&rsquo;re daydreaming of being the ones guarded.)</p><p>With that knowledge in tow, a look of calm assertion &ndash; which also works wonders for Cesar &lsquo;The Dog Whisperer&rsquo; Millan &ndash; was all over my mug as I walked down and prepared to enter the mystery room.</p><p>Only as I was turning into it and pushing down on the massive mahogany door did I flinch. Because the room I was turning into was clearly marked as the &ldquo;Director&rsquo;s Lounge.&rdquo; And though my heart skipped a beat as I marched on, I still felt like I owed it to myself to push all the way through and smell the rarefied air for a second or two before I was tackled by clandestine security ninjas and dragged onto Wood St. to be beaten senseless.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011209/9219641-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="2594" height="1610"></div><p>To my surprise, there was nary a nunchuck nor a ninja to be found. Instead, as Keith nudged me forward, the first person I laid eyes on was then-Ontario premier Mike Harris. The second person I saw was miniature Toronto mayor Mel Lastman. The third person I saw was Hilary Weston, lieutenant-governor of the province.</p><p>Without doubt, this was no ordinary neighborhood clambake. But after Keith and I stood there for five seconds and didn&rsquo;t faint or burst out laughing, everyone in the room returned to their conversations and left us &ndash; a couple goofy-looking dudes holding white plastic Raptors bags filled with beer (and <i>light</i> beer, at that) &ndash; to ourselves.</p><p>We ditched our bags of beer in the coat room, where believe it or not, between the mink coats and game-worn Tim Horton sweater, was the silver bowl from what looked to be a retired version of the Art Ross Trophy.</p><p>If I told you I didn&rsquo;t try to forecast the effect on my health if I swallowed the bowl whole and walked out with it inside my distended stomach, I&rsquo;d be lying.</p><p>I decided against that, but was more than happy to socialize with a bunch of filthy rich gents as long as possible. Keith and I had quietly made up our minds we were staying until some authority figure called us on our ruse.</p><p>Even the crack security setup for the party Canadian brewery giant Molson&rsquo;s threw on the Gardens floor after the game couldn&rsquo;t keep us out. And again, it was fate that played a large role in our continuing escapade.</p><p>Just as we were walking toward the entrance to the Molson party, the matronly old lady in line in front of us threw up her hands in exasperation and asked the security guard checking for tickets if she really had to return to the directors&rsquo; lounge and retrieve hers.</p><p>Of course not, the usher told her apologetically. And when Keith and I made motions towards returning to the lounge to retrieve tickets we didn&rsquo;t have, the usher said there was no need to inconvenience ourselves, either.</p><p>So there we were &ndash; two schleps who started in the nose-bleeding-est of the nosebleeds, now on the Gardens floor hobnobbing with NHL legends like Lanny McDonald and Al Arbour. The adventure couldn&rsquo;t have ended any better, especially when a friend wandered in off the street &ndash; I told you security was lax &ndash; looked at ice level and saw us reveling in the midst of it all.</p><p>Since its closure, the Gardens has remained the undeveloped property of a grocery chain, used only sparingly in recent years for charity events. It is at best a shame (and at worst a disgrace) no one has stepped forward to claim it and salvage a setting that should stay on to serve as the backdrop for generations of hockey fans to come.</p><p>But on that one night, on its last night, Maple Leaf Gardens showed it still had enough tricks up its yellow-bricked sleeves to make a pair of Toronto boys happy beyond their wildest dreams.</p><p>I can only imagine the stories and memories it provided for the millions of hockey fans who passed through its doors before us.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-03

Garden party

f0026-01

NHL Team Reports

f0032-01

WESTERN CONFERENCE

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011341/9220059-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="969" height="1193"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(COURTESY OF ROSS DETTMAN/CHICAGO WOLVES)</span></figcaption></div><p>THE SCOUTS AND COACHES who watch Spencer Machacek play hockey believe he has a special vision for the game.</p><p>Call it 3-D vision.</p><p>Only it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily refer to how he sees the game. The 3 D&rsquo;s instead relate to the way he plays the game.</p><p>&ldquo;His dedication, devotion and desire are why he&rsquo;s going to play in the NHL,&rdquo; said Chicago Wolves GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to will himself into the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>Machecek is well on his way. A third round pick (67th overall) in 2007 by the Atlanta Thrashers, the rookie right winger has been a pleasant surprise for the Wolves.</p><p>As the all-star break approached, Machacek was fifth in team scoring with nine goals and 20 points through 41 games. More impressive, though, was his plus-12 rating, seventh-best among AHL rookies.</p><p>&ldquo;I take a lot of pride in that, that&rsquo;s kind of my mentality,&rdquo; said the 20-year-old Machacek. &ldquo;I hate being scored on. It really eats me up inside if I&rsquo;m out there for a goal.</p><p>&ldquo;In junior, the year we won the Memorial Cup (2006-07 with the Vancouver Giants), I was kind of on a shutdown line with Kenndal McArdle and Mario Bliznak. Don Hay, my coach in junior, taught me a lot about playing defense.&rdquo;</p><p>Playing defense is also about working hard. That&rsquo;s why it comes naturally to Machacek.</p><p>&ldquo;All of his numbers are earned numbers,&rdquo; Cheveldayoff said. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t come during the easy games or the easy time of games. Any time one of the Sutter brothers come to town (be it Darryl, Duane or Ron on scouting trips), they always talk about his work ethic.&rdquo;</p><p>Machacek figures it&rsquo;s an inherited trait. His father, Perry, has his daytime job in their native Lethbridge, Alta., but also helps with growing and harvesting the spring wheat on the family farm. And he said his mother, Lori, is just as busy.</p><p>&ldquo;Obviously they worked hard raising four of us boys who were all playing hockey,&rdquo; Machacek said.</p><p>The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder got a taste of AHL life last spring, joining the Wolves after his Western League season for the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. That limited the amount of surprises this year. In fact, the biggest challenge has been life off the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;You have to grow up fast,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re cooking on your own, you have to get your sleep and if you&rsquo;re not eating right it&rsquo;s going to show up in your game.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02916/9220052-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="214" height="214"></div><h2><b>Spencer Machacek</b></h2><p>Chicago Wolves</p><p>Ht. 6-1</p><p>Wt. 195</p><p>Pos. RW</p><p>Age 20</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03730/9220045-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="183" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING +12</b></h2><p>Machacek has one of the best plus/minus ratings among rookies</p><h3><b>NOTES FROM THE WEST</b></h3><h2><b>Turning the Rampage</b></h2><p>The San Antonio Rampage and Rochester Americans won&rsquo;t just argue reincarnation is real: Their records are pretty solid proof.</p><p>The Rampage and Americans started amazingly poorly, threatening to stunt the most critical reason for their existence, prospect development. But both teams have recovered, not just salvaging their seasons, but becoming very competitive.</p><p>The Rampage started the year 2-20-1. But thanks to improved play by goalie Josh Tordjman and the return of four key forwards, they went 15-6 over the next 21 games.</p><p>&ldquo;A lot of people saw a big hole, but we didn&rsquo;t look at it that way,&rdquo; said Rampage coach Greg Ireland. &ldquo;One thing it did was reaffirm what we as coaches always say: Stay the course.&rdquo;</p><p>The Amerks were 3-18-2 in their first 23 games and 12-5-1 in their next 18, all after goalie Mike Brodeur arrived from the ECHL.</p><p>Rochester was using nine rookies nearly every night and Brodeur&rsquo;s strong play enhanced team confidence.</p><p>&ldquo;Our start was unsettling and we wish it didn&rsquo;t go on so long, but it made us stronger as a team,&rdquo; said rookie blueliner Keaton Ellerby.</p><p>&ndash; KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-04585/9220038-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="175" height="175"></div><h2><b>Hey Jakub Kindl,</b>&nbsp;<b>EXPECT THE CALL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-06429/9220031-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="196" height="103"></div><p>The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Grand Rapids defenseman is fulfilling the promise that got him chosen 19th overall in 2005. The 21-year-old is playing with poise, making smart plays and leading Griffins blueliners in scoring.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-05480/9220024-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="201" height="281"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-07377/9220017-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="315" height="88"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0034-01

Prospects Unlimited

Spencer never a passenger

<div class="byline">- DENIS GIBBONS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0036-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011239/9220156-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The outdoor All-Star Game cost the KHL much more than an indoor event would have.</figcaption></div><p>THE CASH REGISTER rang in the new year for one of Russia&rsquo;s most storied hockey clubs.</p><p>In the old days, Moscow Dynamo was sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior, which oversaw the KGB. But state funds dried up with the Soviet Union&rsquo;s demise.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02821/9220149-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="251" height="274"></div><p>So Dynamo officials were happy to take in the two million rubles (about $60,000) in gate receipts from playing Ak Bars Kazan at the Megasport Arena in Moscow.</p><p>That is a drop in the bucket for NHL owners, but it is a big payday for Dynamo. With most Muscovites earning less than $20,000 a year, ticket prices range from only $8 to $18.</p><p>Just two weeks earlier, the club had brought home 200,000 Swiss francs ($172,500) for winning the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland.</p><p>The game against Kazan &ndash; watched by 6,500 fans &ndash; was a replay of an October game at Dynamo&rsquo;s home rink &ndash; literally called the Small Arena of Luzhniki &ndash; that was suspended when the arena had to be evacuated after fan-lit flares filled it with smoke. The league ordered the game replayed, but ruled it must be held at a larger venue with more security.</p><p>Rent at the Megasport is expensive, but arena manager Mikhail Zagainov told Russian newspaper <i>Komsomolskaya Pravda</i> the league probably paid three times their rate by erecting a temporary rink and stands outdoors for its Red Square All-Star Game.</p><p>&ldquo;We would have been happy to host the All-Star Game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And we would have refused a request from the Central Army basketball team to play a Euroleague match against Real Madrid to accommodate the game.&rdquo;</p><p>Asked why the Megasport facility is not used for hockey more often, Zagainov pointed to a fledgling league.</p><p>&ldquo;Each club has its own arena,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It may be small and old, but it is sufficient. If they&rsquo;re not always drawing thousands of fans, why use the Megasport? But we&rsquo;re prepared to host league playoff games.&rdquo;</p><p>The 14,500-seat arena was opened for the 2007 World Championship, but had yet to host a KHL game. However it is no stranger to large events. Evander Holyfield and Sultan Ibragimov fought there in 2007 and the arena is home to Euroleague basketball and figure skating competitions.</p><p>The Luzhniki Sports Palace and the Olympiskiy Complex could also accommodate KHL games, if attendance in Moscow improves.</p><p>The Palace seats 12,000 while Olympiskiy has a capacity of 80,000, but can be partitioned to accommodate 16,000 for hockey.</p><p>Other KHL arenas in greater Moscow include the 5,600-seat Central Army Sports Club Arena and Spartak&rsquo;s Sokolniki Arena, which has a capacity of 5,530.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-01

Moscow redux

<div class="byline">- RISTO PAKARINEN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03676/9220194-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="562" height="699"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JONSSON: JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-04534/9220187-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="226" height="134"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>t&rsquo;s not every day you find two players neck-and-neck, chasing down a league&rsquo;s all-time scoring record. But that&rsquo;s the case in the Swedish Elitserien.</p><p>When Brynas IF&rsquo;s Janne Larsson retired in 2003, he did so as the league&rsquo;s all-time leader with 527 points in 670 games.</p><p>Farjestad&rsquo;s <b>Jorgen Jonsson</b> began the season just 12 points behind Larsson. But nagging injury problems slowed Jonsson and it took 32 games before he picked up an assist &ndash; ironically against R&ouml;gle Angelholm, captained by his brother, former NHLer Kenny &ndash; to tie the mark. Two days later, Jonsson scored to become the league&rsquo;s all-time points leader.</p><p>But he may not hold the mark for long. Djurgarden right winger Fredrik Bremberg &ndash; who has 11 goals and 38 points in 40 games this season, good for eighth in league scoring &ndash; trails Jonsson by just two points.</p><p>After his record-tying assist, the crowd at the Lofbergs Lila Arena gave Jonsson a standing ovation.</p><p>&ldquo;That was very touching, I felt very small,&rdquo; said Jonsson, who announced he will retire after this season. &ldquo;That was the nicest celebration I&rsquo;ve had as a hockey player. I think I felt a little tear in my eye.</p><p>&ldquo;But, the season is far from over and my plan is to go deep in the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>For their careers, including the playoffs, Jonsson has a 70-point lead over Bremberg.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-03

Race to remember

<p>JARED COWEN&rsquo;S puck-handling quickly impressed the Spokane Chiefs brass &ndash; and he wasn&rsquo;t even using a hockey stick at the time.</p><p>The year was 2006. Cowen was playing in the Sask First bantam tournament, an annual showcase of the top Western League draft prospects from Saskatchewan.</p><p>&ldquo;After the warmup, Jared was one of the guys picking up the pucks,&rdquo; recalled Chiefs GM Tim Speltz. &ldquo;That told me something about him. He was playing midget hockey (despite being bantam aged) that year, but he didn&rsquo;t think he was too big for the tournament.&rdquo;</p><p>He was, however, too big for many opponents to handle and Spokane selected the 6-foot-5 defenseman first overall in the 2006 bantam draft.</p><p>Three years later, Cowen was seventh in NHL Central Scouting&rsquo;s mid-term rankings of North American skaters for the 2009 draft.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to go through the WHL draft before having to do it for the NHL,&rdquo; said the 218-pound native of Allan, Sask. &ldquo;Doing it then was a good experience. There&rsquo;s good lessons to learn before you have to do it on a national stage.&rdquo;</p><p>To this point, the Chiefs are delighted with his progress and unassuming nature.</p><p>&ldquo;He can bring any game you want to play,&rdquo; Speltz said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s big, he&rsquo;s physical, he can skate and he can contribute offensively. He has the whole game. More than anything, he wants to win.&rdquo;</p><p>Cowen also wants to improve.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working on stick skills &ndash; like having good hands and quick hands,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And maybe that first one or two quick steps and being more mobile for a bigger guy.</p><p>&ldquo;Having the little skills is important so it&rsquo;s something I have to work on during the summers. Having a long summer off to work on stuff hasn&rsquo;t been something I&rsquo;ve had for a couple of years now due to playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>Last year, for example, Cowen helped the Chiefs win the WHL and Memorial Cup titles while making a significant contribution as a rookie. As a punctuation mark, he scored an empty-net goal in the Cup final.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03612/9220267-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="765" height="1009"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GARY PETERSON/ACTION SPORTS IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;It was a nice little thing to add to your Memorial Cup experience when you score a goal in the last game &ndash; the last game of the entire CHL season,&rdquo; Cowen said. &ldquo;That was kind of like icing on the cake.&rdquo;</p><p>If things continue as they are, this summer will be pretty sweet for Cowen, too.</p><p>&ndash; ROB VANSTONE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-04518/9220260-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="354" height="191"></div><h2><b>Jared Cowen</b></h2><p>Spokane Chiefs</p><p>Ht. 6-5</p><p>Wt. 218</p><p>Pos. D</p><p>Age 19</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-05467/9220253-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="369" height="86"></div><h3><b>Draft Status</b></h3><p>Ranked No. 4 by ISS for the 2009 NHL draft</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-06412/9220246-1-eng-US/f0037-062.jpg" title="f0037-06" width="177" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 102</b></h2><p>Penalty minutes in 117 Western League games, all with Spokane</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011106/9220239-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="276" height="155"></div><h2><b>Potting goals not the only goal</b></h2><p>Joel Broda&rsquo;s aspirations go well beyond a goal-scoring title. &ldquo;(Scoring the most goals) would be really nice, but if I don&rsquo;t get that and we win the league, I&rsquo;m not going to be to disappointed,&rdquo; said the Calgary Hitmen center. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d really like to win a championship.&rdquo; Broda, drafted in the fifth round by Washington last June, was unlikely to do so with the struggling Moose Jaw Warriors, who dealt him to the Eastleading Hitmen at the trade deadline. &ldquo;I knew I could have a good year,&rdquo; said the 19-year-old, who led the WHL with 39 goals in 44 games. &ldquo;I worked hard in the summer and I knew I had the potential to put up some good numbers. I&rsquo;ve just got to keep going.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; ROB VANSTONE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02762/9220232-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="332" height="103"></div><h2><b>League combats fighting injuries</b></h2><p>League commissioner David Branch, vowing to step-up vigilance after Ontario senior triple-A player Don Sanderson hit his head on the ice during a fight and later died, introduced a game misconduct and one-game suspension for any player who removes his helmet or undoes his chinstrap prior to or during an altercation. The same penalty and suspension applies to any player who removes an opponent&rsquo;s helmet while fighting. A $100 team fine &ndash; which Branch said was not enough of a deterrent &ndash; remains in place as before and doubles with each subsequent offense. If a player&rsquo;s helmet is dislodged during an altercation, the linesmen will intervene immediately.</p><p>&ndash; JIM CRESSMAN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-07361/9220225-1-eng-US/f0037-072.jpg" title="f0037-07" width="262" height="155"></div><h2><b>Scoring points for a good cause</b></h2><p>Cape Breton Screaming Eagles captain Chris Culligan is donating one dollar for every point of his five-year Quebec League career to the local hospital&rsquo;s cancer-center expansion project. &ldquo;Before the season, I let the team know I was interested in doing something that would have a positive impact,&rdquo; said Culligan, who will finish with about 300 career points. &ldquo;Chris brought this idea forward and I thought &lsquo;What a great way to recognize him as our all-time points leader and help the hospital with its expansion&rsquo;,&rdquo; said Screaming Eagles president Paul MacDonald. &ldquo;It shows our players understand they can have a positive impact off the ice as well.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; NEIL HODGE<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0037-03

Big defender has big game

<p>IT TOOK EXACTLY 62 minutes, 31 seconds for Michigan center Louie Caporusso to make an impact with the Wolverines.</p><p>As a freshman last season Caporusso, scored the overtime winner to beat Boston College in his Wolverines debut. The 90th pick by Ottawa in 2007, he finished the year with 12 goals.</p><p>And when Michigan started this season with a holes up front &ndash; Chad Kolarik along with Hobey Baker Award-winner and top scorer Kevin Porter graduated and freshman Max Pacioretty left to sign with the Montreal Canadians &ndash; Caporusso was determined to help fill the void.</p><p>So far it&rsquo;s mission accomplished. Caporusso, along with Air Force&rsquo;s Jacques Lamoureux, leads the nation with 18 goals, including two hat tricks.</p><p>&ldquo;Last year it was tough to step up with guys like Porter and Kolarik on the roster, but this year I&rsquo;ve tried to shoot as much as possible, be an offensive threat and compete every shift,&rdquo; Caporusso said.</p><p>The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Caporusso was paired with two of the Wolverines&rsquo; top playmakers &ndash; sophomore Aaron Palushaj and freshman David Wohlberg. The line quickly became a force.</p><p>&ldquo;Last season I had a lot of scoring opportunities and didn&rsquo;t capitalize on them,&rdquo; Caporusso said. &ldquo;This year, playing with those guys has been great &ndash; I&rsquo;ll get open and the puck is on my stick. And so far they&rsquo;ve been going in.&rdquo;</p><p>Caporusso is a pure goal-scorer with a nose for the net. And without a big shot or blinding speed, he has a knack for finding open space, jumping on loose pucks and finishing.</p><p>&ldquo;Louie is smart, has great instincts and he&rsquo;s in the right place at the right time,&rdquo; said Michigan coach Red Berenson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of those guys who won&rsquo;t draw your attention, but at the end of the night he&rsquo;ll be on the scoresheet.&rdquo;</p><p>Caporusso knows he has a ways to go to become an impact player every single game.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the goal &ndash; to be dominant and more consistent,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And to play the full ice and be reliable defensively.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03651/9220347-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="765" height="1007"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT GALVIN/U-M PHOTO SERVICES)</span></figcaption></div><p>As the Michigan&rsquo;s top scoring threat, Caporusso is a marked man.</p><p>&ldquo;Every team will try to shut him down, he&rsquo;ll find the going a bit tougher,&rdquo; Berenson said. &ldquo;That will be a good challenge and the sky&rsquo;s the limit with him.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; PHILIP COLVIN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-05421/9220340-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="282" height="282"></div><h2><b>Louie Caporusso</b></h2><p>Michigan Wolverines</p><p>Ht. 5-10</p><p>Wt. 185</p><p>Pos. C</p><p>Age 19</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-06357/9220333-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="356" height="69"></div><h3><b>Draft Status</b></h3><p>Selected 90th overall by Ottawa in 2007.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-07311/9220326-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="197" height="103"></div><h2><b>AND COUNTING 0.75</b></h2><p>Caporusso&rsquo;s goals-pergame this season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011195/9220319-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="288" height="107"></div><h2><b>Bucking a bad trend</b></h2><p>After winning just two of their first eight games, Ohio State reeled-off 11 wins in a row to move into the league&rsquo;s top four. The offense was fueled by point-per-game players Corey Elkins and John Albert, but the strong play of goaltender Dustin Carlson made the most impact. The sophomore is seventh in the league in goals-against average (2.29), second in save percentage (.929) and tied for first with four shutouts. But it&rsquo;s his confidence that has made all the difference. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s just a calming influence on our team,&rdquo; said Ohio State coach John Markell.</p><p>&ndash; PHILIP COLVIN</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02810/9220312-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="318" height="143"></div><h2><b>Friars&rsquo; prayers answered in net</b></h2><p>The Providence Friars were in the midst of an 0-10-1 run with goaltending problems. &ldquo;Our save percentage was 85 percent,&rdquo; said Friars coach Tim Army. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a bad recipe on any level.&rdquo; Enter 19-year-old Alex Beaudry from the Gloucester Rangers of the Central (Ont.) Jr. League. &ldquo;He has given us a huge shot in the arm,&rdquo; said senior center Nick Mazzolini of Beaudry, who was 3-0-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been quite an adventure,&rdquo; said the undrafted Beaudry. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a whirlwind.&rdquo;</p><p>&ndash; LARRY MAHONEY</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04524/9220305-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="324" height="101"></div><h2><b>Golden Knight will be missed</b></h2><p>Clarkson senior defenseman Tyrell Mason is dealing with his first major injury. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Golden Knights co-captain could be out the rest of the season with a bad ankle sprain. The injury is the latest mishap for the 5-13-4 Knights and sidelines one of the league&rsquo;s best stay-at-home defensemen and penalty killers. &ldquo;He was playing his best hockey at the time of his injury,&rdquo; said Clarkson coach George Roll. Mason (chosen 180th by the New York Islanders in 2005), had missed just two games his first three seasons at Clarkson.</p><p>&ndash; TOM BOGGIE</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-08256/9220298-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="389" height="85"></div><h2><b>Outdoor games all the rage</b></h2><p>Wisconsin and Minnesota are making plans to stage outdoor games at their football stadiums. Wisconsin is in negotiations with CCHA powerhouse and Big Ten Conference-rival Michigan to play at 80,000-seat Camp Randall Stadium in February, 2010 &ndash; a sellout will set an attendance record for outdoor hockey. Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers hope to host a game at TCF Bank Stadium, set to debut next fall. Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said he envisions the game igniting a series of outdoor contests beginning next year.</p><p>&ndash; ANDY BAGGOT<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0038-03

There’s no Cap on his offense

<div class="byline">by Nicolas Chabot</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01792/9220465-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01681/9220458-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="2801" height="651"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0040-01

Rebounding to make a save

<div class="byline">BY NATHAN WHITE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0042-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01715/9220503-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg"></div><p>NOT MANY 18-YEAR-OLD BACKUPS are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.</p><p>Then again, not many are as selfless as Karel St-Laurent of the Quebec League&rsquo;s Saint John Sea Dogs. The native of Ville Ste-Catherine, Que., dedicated his most personal piece of equipment to fallen Canadian soldier Pte. David Greenslade.</p><p>Equipment manager David Kelly expected St-Laurent to have plenty of ideas for painting his first custom mask when he made the team last fall. But he simply said he wanted it to represent his new city. Kelly thought of Greenslade, a 20-year-old Saint John native who was one of six soldiers killed April 8, 2007, when their light-armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb explosion.</p><p>&ldquo;What more Saint John could you want than someone who sacrificed their life for us to be able to live the life we do and to be able to be part of the game that we love?&rdquo; Kelly said.</p><p>St-Laurent had never met Greenslade, but wanted to honor a young man whose life was cut short fighting for his country. The result is a thoughtful tribute that struck a chord with the military community and led hockey&rsquo;s hallowed Hall to request the mask for its collection.</p><p>&ldquo;I love the idea,&rdquo; St-Laurent said. &ldquo;I think we all need to support the troops and to know there&rsquo;s a guy here who was killed doing his job to defend the country. I wanted to paint it for his memory.&rdquo;</p><p>Kelly developed a rough design and consulted Greenslade&rsquo;s parents, Laurie and Don, and his former girlfriend, Alicia Mason, for input. They sent the sketches to Gilders Design in London, Ont., which delivered the custom mask in time for Saint John&rsquo;s Support Our Troops game.</p><p>St-Laurent met the Greenslades outside the dressing room the day the mask arrived, just before they travelled to Afghanistan to mark Remembrance Day with other families of fallen soldiers.</p><p>A portrait of Greenslade with his beloved Airedale terrier Colby is painted on one side of the mask, with a silhouette of a soldier and a Canadian flag on the other.</p><p>It&rsquo;s adorned with poppies, a yellow ribbon, a forget-me-not and the phrases &ldquo;Lest We Forget,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Pro Patria.&rdquo; It also features the names of the other five soldiers killed that day: Sgt. Donald Lucas, 31, of Burton, N.B., Cpl. Aaron Williams, 23, of Lincoln, N.B., Pte. Kevin Kennedy, 20, of St. Lawrence, Nfld., Cpl. Brent Poland, 37, of Sarnia, Ont., and Cpl. Christopher Stannix, 24, of Halifax.</p><p>The Greenslades and three family friends pored over the mask for several minutes, admired the details and thanked Kelly and St-Laurent repeatedly. Don tried it on, while Laurie joked about wanting to steal it.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re honoured that, a year-and-a-half after his death, he&rsquo;s still being remembered,&rdquo; said Laurie, who credits their Christian faith for helping the family deal with David&rsquo;s death. &ldquo;He was a huge Sea Dogs fan and he loved going to the games.&rdquo;</p><p>She recalled her son&rsquo;s love of dogs, especially Colby, nicknamed &lsquo;The Horse.&rsquo; Colby still sleeps in David&rsquo;s closet and Don said he sometimes howls in the night.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02443/9220496-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="1021" height="838"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAVID CONNELL)</span></figcaption></div><p>The most difficult part for Laurie is &ldquo;embracing that he&rsquo;s really gone.&rdquo; She wishes she could wash his dirty dishes, or bug him about girlfriends.</p><p>After a front-page story in Saint John&rsquo;s <i>Telegraph-Journal</i>, at least 750 people joined a Facebook group discussing the mask. There were follow-up stories on national television and even the military&rsquo;s internal Army News.</p><p>The tribute got the Hall of Fame&rsquo;s attention and a request was made for St-Laurent to donate the mask after the season.</p><p>Izak Westgate of the Hall of Fame expects it will be displayed in the year in review exhibit and then would likely move to an exhibit on Canadian junior hockey, perhaps even travelling to future Memorial Cups.</p><p>&ldquo;What better tribute, on top of everything they&rsquo;ve already done, than to send it to the Hall of Fame afterwards,&rdquo; Westgate said.</p><p>&ldquo;Never did I think the Hockey Hall of Fame would want the mask,&rdquo; St-Laurent said. &ldquo;I did not expect to have all that attention. It&rsquo;s an honor to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It&rsquo;s not by my performance, but it&rsquo;s for my mask and I&rsquo;m very proud of that. I&rsquo;m sure I&rsquo;ll go to the Hockey Hall of Fame and see my mask there someday.&rdquo;</p><p>The Greenslades said the support means a lot to them and to the soldiers they met in Afghanistan.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just thrilled, absolutely thrilled about it,&rdquo; Laurie said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s bigger than Dave. It&rsquo;s &lsquo;Lest We Forget,&rsquo; the poppy and the fact Canadians are so patriotic. This just proves it.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hitting home because David and others are dying there and it brings out what we owe to the veterans.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0042-01

Painted Saint

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0043-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02475/9220555-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01705/9220562-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="155" height="155"></div><p>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/xword</a></p><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Extended fights</p><p>4 Sylvio ___ was Montreal&rsquo;s captain in the &lsquo;30s</p><p> 9 ___ Hodge won the Vezina Trophy in 1964</p><p>10 Toronto&rsquo;s WHA team</p><p>11 Real first name of former goalie &lsquo;Pokey&rsquo; Reddick</p><p>12 &lsquo;The Broadway Blueshirts&rsquo;</p><p>13 Throb</p><p>15 Mark and Marty are Gordie&rsquo;s ___</p><p>18 To ___-___ a shot is to strike the puck without first stopping it</p><p>21 Former goalie ___ Vachon, pictured</p><p>23 Natural hat ___ is three straight goals by a player</p><p> 24 Montreal winger who was schooled at Yale</p><p>25 It&rsquo;s ___ if the puck crosses blueline before you do</p><p> 26 Only back-to-back coach of the year: Jacques ___</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Slang for the helmet</p><p>2 The Jack Adams ___ is what top coaches receive</p><p>3 Newsy ___ was Montreal&rsquo;s captain many years ago</p><p> 5 Keith ___ is an assistant coach with the Leafs</p><p>6 Pierre ___ was Canadiens co-captain in 1995-96</p><p> 7 Help in the scoring of a goal</p><p>8 Beverage sold at most arenas</p><p>14 Habs captains in &rsquo;89-90: Carbonneau and ___</p><p>15 Another long-ago Habs captain: ___ Cleghorn</p><p>16 Nashville&rsquo;s Jordin ___</p><p>17 Against 19 Signed (a contract, say)</p><p>20 Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association: abbr.</p><p>22 The NHL publishes a yearly ___ <i>and Record Book</i></p><p>LAST WEEK&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS 1. DANIEL, 4. HENRIK, 9. NEILSON, 10. MUCKS, 11. LOSER, 12. GARBAGE, 13. ADAM, 15. LADY, 18. OCEANIC, 21. TRAIL, 23. SPLIT, 24. PHOENIX, 25. SERGEI, 26. ANDREI DOWN 1. DONALD, 2. NAILS, 3. ENSTROM, 5. ELMER, 6. RICHARD, 7. KASPER, 8. SNAG, 14. DWELLER, 15. LET DOWN, 16. JOUSTS, 17. ALEXEI, 19. NOTRE, 20. CAPS, 22. ABNER</p><h2><b>hockeysockpuppettheatre bycharlieteljeur</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03394/9220548-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="1776" height="814"></div><h2><b>JERSEY Hound</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04295/9220541-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="628" height="172"></div><p>All-Star Game uniforms are a minefield of bad taste, but it hasn&rsquo;t always been that way. Back in 1992, the NHL went with a 1940s era throwback sweater and the results were simple and eye-catching. But here&rsquo;s a modest proposal: Why not incorporate the host team&rsquo;s jersey? Take a player&rsquo;s regular sweater, for example, but put it in the host&rsquo;s home and away colors. Imagine Boston&rsquo;s spoked &lsquo;B&rsquo; in Montreal&rsquo;s <i>bleu, blanc et rouge</i> or Detroit&rsquo;s winged wheel in black and gold. Add a few stars and you&rsquo;re all set.</p><p>&ndash; Ryan Kennedy</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-05253/9220534-1-eng-US/f0043-052.jpg" title="f0043-05" width="786" height="744"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALL-STAR GAME (1992)</b> PATRICK ROY</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0043-02

CROSSWORD

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0044-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02372/9220593-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01607/9220600-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="207" height="245"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>E</span>VEN AT THE AGE OF 31 and after 13 years in the NHL, there is a boyish cast to <b>Shane Doan&rsquo;s</b> features that makes him fit right in on a Phoenix Coyotes team that is both young and surprising.</p><p>Young because the Coyotes are relying heavily on half-a-dozen first- or second-year players to play crucial minutes in every key area except goal.</p><p>Surprising because at the all-star break, the Coyotes were in the mix, with about six other teams, for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, something that has happened to them only once in the past seven seasons.</p><p>That Phoenix has risen from the ashes so fast is a tribute to, among other things, Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s coaching, Ilya Bryzgalov&rsquo;s play in goal and the fact the kids they put into their system in a massive rebuild were quick learners and are probably ahead of where they should be development-wise.</p><p>This is as much a tribute to Doan&rsquo;s leadership presence as any other factor, according to Darren Pang, the Coyotes color man, who spends as much time in their dressing room as anyone and believes Doan&rsquo;s contributions cannot be understated.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>&lsquo;He&rsquo;s the last guy off the ice with these kids&rsquo;</b></blockquote><p>For proof, Pang produces his camera phone and starts scrolling  through his pictures to show one of Doan and rookie Kyle Turris, taken following a practice, in which both are intently talking about hockey. Sort of a dressing room <i>Hot Stove</i> and while Turris is already out of his skates, Doan is still wearing his. For Pang, this is an indication of the enthusiasm to play that rolls off Doan &ndash; and soaks into the DNA of his younger teammates, day after upbeat day.</p><p>&ldquo;He just does so much more than just being a great right winger,&rdquo; Pang said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not only a player. He&rsquo;s like a director of player development &ndash; that&rsquo;s how important he is. He&rsquo;s got the enthusiasm of a young kid, but he&rsquo;s got the calmness and leadership of a guy that&rsquo;s been around a long time.</p><p>&ldquo;Anything that goes on with this team goes through Shane Doan. If he sees a young player in the dressing room that might be a little down or lacking in confidence, he&rsquo;s the first guy that&rsquo;s over there, talking to that player, giving him confidence, sharing his experiences.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s the last guy off the ice with these kids. He&rsquo;s the last guy in the dressing room with them. He&rsquo;ll hang with (Mikkel) Boedker, (Viktor) Tikhonov, Turris. After the morning skate, he&rsquo;ll never leave.&rdquo;</p><p>Doan last played in the playoffs in the spring of &rsquo;02, but it was a quick first-round exit, same as always. There was a time, prior to the lockout, when the Coyotes thought they had a team that was worth making a push with &ndash; and actually entered a couple of those long-ago trade deadlines as a buyer, rather than a seller.</p><p>But even though they made the playoffs in Doan&rsquo;s first six seasons &ndash; his rookie season came in their final year as the Winnipeg Jets &ndash; they lost in the first round every time out.</p><p>As a result, Doan has played just 32 playoff games in his career and has just six goals and 12 points to show for them. The past couple of years, he&rsquo;s been a mainstay of Canada&rsquo;s world championship teams &ndash; but like another Captain Canada before him, Ryan Smyth, he&rsquo;d just as soon be occupied in the spring, trying to win a round or two for the Desert Dogs.</p><p>The down years did nothing to temper his enthusiasm, however.</p><p>&ldquo;You definitely enjoy the opportunity to be in the hunt,&rdquo; Doan said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the reason you play the 82 games &ndash; for a chance to play the extra ones. To have that chance, a legitimate chance at making the playoffs, is a lot of fun.&rdquo;</p><p>Gretzky borrowed a page from the early Oilers playbook in terms of sprinkling veteran leadership in among his talented flock of youngsters.</p><p>&ldquo;We had guys like Dave Dryden, Lee Fogolin and Ron Chipperfield,&rdquo; Gretzky said.</p><p>&ldquo;That was Glen Sather&rsquo;s big thing &ndash; he was going to play his young guys, but he needed to have the proper veteran players around them, players who were unselfish &ndash; and that&rsquo;s what we have.</p><p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say enough about what Shane Doan, Derek Morris, Ed Jovanovski and Steve Reinprecht have brought to our team.&rdquo;</p><p>For his part, Doan passes some of the credit off to the youngsters, describing them as &ldquo;awesome&rdquo; and noting &ldquo;they&rsquo;ve got great attitudes, every one of them. It&rsquo;s a tough learning curve, because your second year can be harder than your first year. In your first year, you get all the accolades &ndash; everything you do is great. In your second year, more is expected, so when you do the same thing, you might not get tapped on the back quite so quickly.&rdquo;</p><p>So playing with teens and twentysomethings, is that what keeps Doan young as well? And more to the point, is it odd to feel like an elder statesman, when he still looks like a kid himself?</p><p>&ldquo;I do have the most games played,&rdquo; Doan said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s unique and it&rsquo;s fun and I&rsquo;m enjoying every minute of it.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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February 9, 2009

Hardcore Hockey

EASTERN CONFERENCE

+Plus Minus –

Second time is a charm