Volume 2 Issue 3 -- December 4, 2001
(Awarded to the the top scorer and top goalie over the past 10 games)
Player
Winner: Tony Amonte of the Oakville Bulls/Chicoutimi Sparrows for splitting the week between two teams and never missed a beat.
Runner-Up: Mats Sundin of the Quebec City Corinthians for scoring half his total in one game - 7 goals and 1 assist vs Chi-Town Krushers - That must be a record!
Goalie
Winner: Ed Belfour of the Saskatoon Enforcers grabbed 13 of a possible 20 points including one shutout
Runner-Up: Dwayne Roloson of the Toronto Stallions won all 4 games he played, with a GAA less than 2. Not bad for a backup!
Nominees
Players GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT S PIM His Team
Tony Amonte 10 10 8 18 4 0 0 0 0 59 17 Bulls
Eric Lindros 10 10 7 17 12 5 0 2 0 53 27 Stallions
Joe Sakic 10 4 13 17 9 1 0 0 0 42 21 Stallions
Mikael Holmqvist 10 2 15 17 14 0 0 0 0 12 19 Bears
Jaromir Jagr 10 13 3 16 6 3 0 0 0 45 6 Corinths
Mats Sundin 10 7 9 16 9 0 1 1 0 56 18 Corinths
Pavel Bure 9 9 5 14 4 2 1 0 1 48 14 Dropkicks
Mikael Renberg 10 9 5 14 6 2 0 2 0 35 0 Enforcers
Martin Rucinsky 10 9 5 14 1 4 0 1 1 48 22 Endless
Rick Tocchet 10 6 7 13 9 1 0 2 0 28 26 Dominators
Martin Straka 10 7 5 12 5 3 1 2 0 53 6 Sparrows
Mike Peca 10 6 6 12 13 0 2 1 0 34 9 Voodoo
Petr Sykora 10 10 1 11 3 6 0 2 0 50 7 J-Naughts
Sergei Berezin 10 6 5 11 5 3 0 1 0 33 21 Hawks
Goaltenders GP MIN AVG W L T EN SO GA SA PCT His Team
Dwayne Roloson 4 240 1.50 4 0 0 0 1 6 119 .950 Stallions
Ed Belfour 10 605 2.78 6 3 1 0 1 28 305 .908 Enforcers
Maxime Ouellet 10 615 2.63 4 3 3 1 0 27 295 .908 J-Naughts
Curtis Joseph 6 360 3.00 5 1 0 0 0 18 181 .901 Stallions
Martin Brodeur 9 545 2.86 4 4 1 0 0 26 260 .900 Voodoo
Patrick DesRochers 7 420 3.29 4 3 0 0 0 23 225 .898 Dominators
Mathieu Garon 7 425 2.96 4 2 1 0 0 21 204 .897 Sparrows
Brent Johnson 7 430 2.93 3 2 2 0 1 21 203 .897 Corinths
Jean-F. Damphousse 10 605 3.07 5 4 1 0 0 31 285 .891 Hawks
Chris Osgood 4 240 3.75 2 2 0 0 0 15 125 .880 Dropkicks
Jeff Hackett 8 480 3.75 4 4 0 0 0 30 247 .879 Bulls
Sean Burke 10 600 4.70 5 5 0 0 0 47 352 .866 Bears
(News articles from every corner of the W.H.L.)
Stallions On A Roll
Toronto, ON - What a roll the Stallions are enjoying, a roll that has seen them take a four point lead in the league standings. In the past ten games they are 9-1, and in the past fifteen games they are 13-2. Any questions about their abilities are currently shelved as they are ranked #1 in three of the four crucial categories in the WHL; Goals For, Shots For and Goals Against. They are ranked 12th in Shots Against, but with a #1 ranking in Goals Against, they are hardly worried about the 12th ranking. They currently enjoy a five goal lead in the Goals For category and a 91 shot lead in the Shots For category. In the Goals Against they have a 13 goal lead on the number two team. In the Shots Against they sit 44 shots more than the number one team, but only 15 shots separates #6 from #12.
The past ten games saw the Stallions play three home-at-home series, the first was against the Lunatics and this was Toronto's only loss as they lost the first game at home by a score of 5-4. They bounced back in Waterloo winning 3-0. The next series was against the woeful Icedogs, the series was over quickly with Toronto winning by combined scores of 15-4, outshooting them 96-57. The tightest series was easily the Enforcers series. Toronto took the home game 4-2, and battled in Saskatoon to a 4-3 win.
The biggest win in the past ten games was clearly against division phenom, the Oakville Bulls. Oakville has improved remarkably over last year, and with a move to the Central Division are giving Toronto a run for the division title that they haven't had in a few years. The 3-2 overtime win for the Stallions was the catalyst for the current winning streak. The inevitable let down in the next game, the loss to the Lunatics was expected, but they have gone eight straight wins since then. With other wins coming against the Bears (6-2), Vipers (5-1) and the Raiders (10-5). The only blemish over those eight games was the five goals against from the Raiders.
The next ten games are going to be a bit tougher. Fully seven are on the road and three of those are against tough opponents including the Express, Voodoo and Oceanics. These three games will determine who is first overall in the league by the next issue of this magazine. Toronto does have a few easier games in the mix as they will face the Steelcats twice along with the Vipers, Raiders and Bears again.
Clearly the biggest game will be Thursday night in Boston. Toronto faces their hated Campbell rivals the Dropkicks and prior to the match the publicized charity "rock'em sock'em robot" fight between Al Stricken, writer for the Stallions, and the Usel...um...Mike Woods, writer for the 'Kicks.
Voodoo Not Concerned With Express' Upgrade
Vancouver, BC - The past 10 games have not been good to the Vancouver Voodoo. They have currently dropped their last two games, including one to hated rivals the Rocky Mountain Express. Jason York has missed 8 games and is due to return to the line-up. Mattias Ohlund returned but has been less than spectacular. Rumours are beginning to circulate about him possibly being moved. No serious discussions have been initiated, but it is no secret that GM Darren Kinnaird is not happy with Ohlund's play this season. Ohlund has one goal and eight assists in twenty three games.
The Express improved their team this past week, picking up ex-Voodoo player Brendan Shanahan, and offensive defenseman Scott Niedermayer, prompting some to wonder what the Voodoo will do to match this bold move. "We are not concerned about what the other teams are doing. We have a team here that we know can win games and we are concerned more with getting this team headed back on course. Getting York back will certainly help that" said GM Darren Kinnaird following a 4-2 loss to the Enforcers.
Linden Impresses Teammates
Victoria, BC - The Isles have enjoyed a rather modest streak of sorts going 6W 3L 1T over the last 10. Combined with our previous 10, the team is 11W 7L 2T over the last 20 games. Gradual improvement brought on by solid defensive play. Guy Hebert was solid this period almost hitting the .900 sav%. Boris Mironov picked up 8 points in 7 games and young Taylor Pyatt was contributing at a point per game on the 3rd line.
The player of the month honors, however goes to Trevor Linden who picked up 12 points and a +9 since joining the team. Everyone knew Trevor would be pleased to play on a western team and in particular a team that would use his talents on the front line. His prowess on the scoreboard should not be overshadowed by the loss of Petr Nedved who has been injured most of the month. Linden was moved back and forth from RW on regular duty to center on special teams to help compensate for Nedved's injury.
Special mention goes to Randy Burridge who switched to 3rd line center during injuries to Nedved and Tony Hrkac. Randy showed the grit and tenacity of his more youthful days picking up 5 points while going +4.
Trevor Linden 20 1 3 4 0
Trevor Linden 30 3 13 16 9
Taylor Pyatt 20 8 5 13 -2
Taylor Pyatt 30 14 9 23 2
Boris Mironov 20 4 11 15 7
Boris Mironov 27 7 16 23 13
MIN avg W L T EN SO GA SA PCT
Guy Hebert 20 1210 3.47 6 12 2 0 0 70 614 .886
Guy Hebert 30 1815 3.31 12 15 3 0 1 100 908 .890
Bulls Bring in a New-Load of Talent
Oakville, ON - Throughout the past week the Oakville Bulls have made not one, not two, but four trades, and all were somewhat major moves. The new faces to the Bulls roster include Doug Gilmour, Tony Amonte, Radek Bonk, Lubomir Sekeras, Jyrki Lumme, Jaroslav Spacek, Richard Smehlik, Kris Draper and Todd Harvey.
Bulls management feel content with the team after their recent transactions, however, there may still be a few more deals confirmed within the next couple weeks as the Bulls still sit third in points in the WHL.
DAILY BULLZ-EYE
- It appears that Bulls assistant coach, The Rock, has issued an open challenge to any member of the Krushers organization to "JUST BRING IT!", as he has stated he is going to lay the "Smack- down!" on all their candy asses after what 'Jesse' "the body" Golbez had to say in regards to the Bulls and Corinthians players the night Sundin had 8 points.
- Oakville police reported a break and enter into the Smackdown Centre (home of the Oakville Bulls). Right now police are not releasing any names but it is believed that Dropkicks GM Chris Kordyback is responsible as his team lost to the Bulls 6-2 that same night. Evidence that points to Kordyback's guilt is that the ice was spray-painted with the words: "Hey, everything's cool when you're C-J-K" (a.k.a. Chris Johns Kordyback). *Side-note: Police officers also found it odd that there were two pictures of thumbs spray painted on the ice on the sides of the words. More information will be released to the media soon.
- Voodoo GM Darren Kinnaird was seen at some of the ski-resorts in Whistler with Stallions GM Brian Howe. Could this be a clue as to the two GM's preparing lyrics for a special Christmas CD?, stay tuned!
- Staying on the same subject, last night Voodoo GM Kinnaird was reportedly heard yelling at his fellow employees at the end of a meeting saying "I demand some respect around the WHL, eleven damn years I've been.... I mean, seven damn years I've been managing winning teams, and look at the thanks I get?! NONE!".... What is next?, will Phil literally kiss Mike Herbert's ass in order for his team the Oceanics to claim the Wales Conference Championship? (hehe)
Bears Third Line Surprises
Harrisburg, PA - About 8 games ago, due to injuries and poor play, Robbie Brown decided to shuffle up the Bears line up. He was impressed with the results of M.Holmqvist and M.Balmochnykh in limited action. So he decided to team these two with veteran German Titov. The results were instant. This has been the top scoring line on the team ever since. It is moves like this that prove to the Bear management that Robbie is here to stay for a long time. Look out WHL the Bears are surging with this third line leading the way.
ICEDOGS 30 GAME REVIEW
Mississauga, ON - Well it's been a long 30 games so far as the Icedogs have only won 4 games and it appears as though the Icedogs will finish with the worst record in the WHL. With that comes the guarantee that the Icedogs will have either the 1st or 2nd pick overall in the entry draft. Looking at this draft there are 3 guys that the Dogs could be looking to take Jay Bouwmeester, Rick Nash or a goaltender from Finland Kari Lehtonen. All three of these guys will be stars so it'll be a tough decision for management on who to go with come this summer.
GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT LAST 10 STREAK
ICEDOGS 30 4 23 3 92 173 11 .183 1-8-1 5G winless
INJURY REPORT
Marian Cisar IceDogs 8 games
Injuries Suspens. Total
Team # MGM # MGM MGM
Mississauga IceDogs 2 22 0 0 22
Well the Icedogs haven't been affected too much by the injury bug this year. However they did lose David Legwand to injury and now Marian Cisar. Cisar was having a good year for a rookie with 11 goals and 8 assists in 26 games. At the time of his injury he was 2nd in rookie scoring.
Icedogs special teams have been brutal. They are only scoring on 14.2% of their powerplay opportunities and only killing 76.3% of their penalties.
Well with the teams struggles the Icedogs are definatly looking to make a couple moves. Jaroslav Modry has asked to be traded and the Icedogs are really looking to move him for a pick or prospect of some sort. Modry felt he was ready for the WHL but playing in Mississauga has not gone over too well. Modry would really benefit if he was playing with some guys that had more skill. Modry has 9 points in 30 games and 2 goals on the powerplay.
Scott Thornton the veteran center has provided a lot of spark for the team this year. He always gives 100% on the ice and is a leader. This year he has 9 goals and 10 assists in 30 games and he has also racked up some penalty minutes with a total of 97 so far this year. Scott has racked up 5 powerplay goals. The Icedogs would be quite happy taking a pick or prospect for Scott.
Other players that the Icedogs are considering moving are defenseman Ossi Vaananen and prospects Stephen Weiss and Tuomo Ruutu. Weiss and Ruutu will only be moved if the Icedogs recieve a combination of picks and or prospects. While this is going to be a long long season for the Icedogs there is still a lot of work to be done. Farm team coach Stan Butler is going to be coaching the Canadian World Junior team this year so the Icedogs will need to get a replacement for him during that time. The Icedogs will have Ray Bourque go and coach the team during this time as they would like Ray to work with the guys down there and show them some things.
Also the Olympics this year will be a busy time for Icedog staff. Joe Mullen the US scout for the Dogs will be head coach of team USA. Finland will have Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen coaching it's squad both are scouts in Europe for the Icedogs. Also the owner Jon Lemoine is a GM of the Soviet Red Army. Also it is rumored that the Icedogs are going to make a pitch to host this years all-star game with this being the last season for the Icedogs at the Hershey center they would really like to close it with a bang. Other rumors are that the Icedogs would like to open their new arena by hosting the entry draft. Well that's it from Mississauga more news as it comes.
Boston, MA - The Hawks continue to play at a level that Hawks fans everywhere arn't used to. The "new" Hawks still hold on to a playoff spot in the Campbell conference. If the Hawks make it to playoffs it would be their first ever post season appearance. The team currently holds the fourth place in the conference but there is only a five point gap down to the Dominators in ninth place. So the Hawks still have a long way to go.
Lets take a look at some of the contibuting factors to the Hawks success this year.
The new management did some roster changes before the season started. Berezin has been a key player so far.
F 94 Sergei Berezin 30 21 10 31 4 7 0 4 0 111 30 18.9
The Veterans, Captain Kirk and sidekick Shayne Corson are key players on this club and the Hawks rarely win if Muller and Corson aren't playing well.
F 9 Shayne Corson 30 13 13 26 9 5 2 2 0 86 105 15.1
F 19 Kirk Muller 23 10 11 21 3 5 0 1 0 49 46 20.4
Penalty killing. The Hawks lead the entire WHL in penalty killing. With only 17 PP goals allowed in 30 games they have a 88 % PK.
HAWKS 30 142 17 88.0 15 72 12 83.3 15 70 5 92.9
Goalkeeping. J-F Damphosse has been playing great and has won many games by himself. He has been a three star at no less than 10 occations. He is a three time first star and a seven time thirdstar. We are still waiting for his first shut out.
The Hawks have played at about the same level so far this season. There hasn't been so many long losing/winning streaks. Just look at these numbers.
Game 1-10: HAWKS 10 6 4 0 43 37 12 .600
Game 11-20: HAWKS 10 5 5 0 32 29 10 .500
Game 21-30: HAWKS 10 5 4 1 31 31 11 .550
Hopefully the Hawks will continue to play at this level. If they do I can't see any reason for them to miss the playoffs. But as with so many other teams the Hawks are susceptible to injuries. The next 10 games are very important for the Hawks. Seven of them are played away from home. Two of the next three games are against division rivals Krushers.
361. HAWKS @ KRUSHERS
379. HAWKS @ STEELCATS
387. KRUSHERS @ HAWKS
401. HAWKS @ DOMINATORS
418. HAWKS @ DOMINATORS
422. HAWKS @ VIKINGS
434. HAWKS @ J-NAUGHTS
456. SPARROWS @ HAWKS
466. ENFORCERS @ HAWKS
469. HAWKS @ SEAWOLVES
The Hawks continue to try to bring some youth into their team. David VanDrunen played his first games with the Hawks after having been promoted from the minors this weekend. The 25 year old defensman was given the chance to prove himself on the third line together with Hal Gill. In his first pro game, Hawks vs Vipers in Boston, VanDrunen wasn't given a lot of time out on the ice. This is what coach Mike Bossy had to say about VanDrunens first game.
"David played solid tonight, he didn't make any huge mistakes. I think you all could see that the kid was a bit tense during the game. It was tough out there tonight as the Vipers basically skated right over our players. But David kept his cool when players like Messier tried to nail him into the boards."
Trade rumors:
Rumors here in Boston insists that winger Shayne Corson might be leaving the club along with centerman Steve Sullivan and defensman Hal Gill. Corson has been placed in both Montreal with the Juggs and in Hartford with rivals the Dropkicks. Gill has also been placed with the Dropkicks. Sullivan said earlier this week that he would love to play in Toronto given the opportunity. Hawks GM Nilsson refused to comment on any of these rumors earlier today.
I'm Lasse Kinch with the Hawks in Boston.
Rettschlag's Hiring a Success So Far
Hartford, MA - With five wins, two losses and a tie since his hiring, the Adam Rettschlag project is being viewed as a good one so far.
"Without question the guys buy into his system," said Joe Thornton, "his ability to motivate is incredible."
While his unorthodox style may not be for every player his ideas seem to have hit home with several key Dropkicks, in particular Thornton, Pavel Bure and the newest Dropkicks Jan Hlavac and Radek Dvorak.
Random Kicks:
The rumour mill still has captain Doug Weight leaving town in exchange for a top left winger. GM Kordyback denies this as "a load of Chris Kubinec produced bullsh-t" but where there's smoke there is sometimes fire. Kordyback also allegedly scoffed at rumours/offers for rookie Dany Heatley.
"There have been some great offers without question. But as Larry Steelcat has often said to me... 'Piss off and stop bugging me about Thornton...' except where it says 'Thornton' insert 'Heatley'...or something..."
Edmonton Vikings News and Notes
Edmonton, AB - The Vikings are stumbling of late, with a 4-5-1 record in their last ten games. The biggest area of concern for second year coach Rob Ziccarelli is the club's abysmal 7-9-3 record on home ice. "It's a huge problem right now, no doubt about it. For whatever reason the guys aren't responding here at home and it's forcing us into a big hole."
Other problems cropping up recently include the putrid play of back-up goaltender Garth Snow and the team's inability to score on the powerplay.
The team is relatively healthy again though with the return of Gary Suter and Dan McGillis.
The Vikings are looking for help on the right-side and a reliable back-up goalie. Players on the block include Mike VanRyn, Brian Rolston and Todd Marchant.
Jim Matheson for the WHL Weekly
Winning Ways Continue, For The Most Part
Chicago, IL - With a 6-1-3 record in the past 10 games, the Chi-Town Krushers have taken a 5 point lead in the American Division over the surprising Boston Hawks (Now is about the time they should fall back to Earth).
With stingy defense, excellent penalty-killing, and a bad-a$$ attitude, (Krushers have racked up the 2nd most PIM's in the league) the Krushers have an overall record of 15-7-8, strange to say the least.
"We are competitive in most every game," stated captain Jeremy Roenick, "We want to make your life a nightmare, and we make it tough to play against us. If you want any points, you'll have to literally beat us for it."
Although the Krushers have success with their Chaotic style, opponents aren't exactly giving glowing praise to the Krushers for their winning ways.
"They are a cheap bunch of pricks!" commented a top league executive, who wanted to remain anonymous, "They don't have any fighters on that team! Take Richard Zednik for example... he basically jumps 3 feet in the air and elbows the guy in the head."
"The whole team is like that" continued Mr. Anonymous, "They use their sticks, elbows, and play a game that only a lacrosse fan could love. It's a good thing for them that their goaltending and penalty-killing units save their a$$es all the time, and the fact they draw so many retalitory penalties. One of these days, you are going to see Samsonov or Roenick lying in a bloody heap."
These tactics, combined with Quenneville switching line combinations every 3 minutes, have worked for the most part, as opponent after opponent leaves the United Center bruised and crying like a bunch of French-Canadian Seperatists.
However, Game 29, Corinths vs. Krushers will live forever in history as Mats Sundin Night.
"It was horrible, HORRIBLE!!" cried defenseman Ivan Droppa, "Mats Sundin score at will. He shoot, he score, and wife no give me sex when I come home."
7 goals, 1 assist, certainly some kind of record.
Who's to blame? Andrei Kovalenko and his -6 rating? Trevor Kidd's suddenly awful goaltending? Mats Sundin's new chunky soup diet?
"It must be chunk soup," sighed Kovalenko after the drubbing, "Before next game, I put chunk soup in my vodka and maybe I score goal!"
Perhaps it was just the kick in the a$$ the Krushers needed! It has been a long time since the Dropkicks have looked so poor (so much for the big-spending Dropkicks) and the Krushers have such a nice roll of success.
In true-grit fashion, the Krushers came out the next game and beat the pathetic SeaWolves 8-2, in what can be best described as the "Easiest Game Ever".
TRASH TALKING
It wasn't bad enough that the Krushers got molested like Michael Jackson's monkey. No. Apparently, Oakville Bulls GM Chris Kubinec and his coach, "The Rock", felt they needed to add their 2 Canadian cents (Worth nothing in American). After laughing publicly about how Mats Sundin toyed with the Krushers, our benevolent GM Jes Golbez Ursulak had to have his 2 bits:
"Well, why the $%@# are Kubinec and The Crock getting in our face about any of our business?"
"Tell you what, Crocky," screamed Golbez, "I'll take away your steroid supply and watch your muscles deflate into JELL-O. And then I'll have you chase me half a block and watch you have a heart attack."
"As for Kubinec," Golbez laughed, "The Czech Hockey Federation is so ashamed of you, it's amusing. How can a guy with Czech heritage totally not know a thing about such? And to think Kubinec doesn't seem to care either. He's been totally North-Amerikanized by the likes of Howe, The Crock, and his fat mother."
"By the way," Golbez ended, "How did you enjoy Robert Reichel? I see he did jack-$hit for you! Looks like I reamed you pretty hard on that deal, eh?"
THE NEXT 10
It looks like tough times ahead for the Krushers, as Bryan Allen could very well miss the next 10 games, and Josef Vasicek, who's been great since his call-up, will now sit 2-3 weeks with a broken finger.
Kidd and Rogles have given us polar goaltending. Either they totally whoop-a$$, or they totally lick it.
The Defense has struggled to score goals, and it looks like Rob Blake was at least good for one thing. Christer Olsson has struggled at both ends of the rink, basically eliminating his chances to make the Swedish Olympic team (not like they will win anything anyways). The offense, well Roenick has lost his passing touch, and Samsonov is still toying with us. Luckily, Adam Oates, a possible Olympian, has been one of the best 2-way players in the league this year. He ranked 3rd in Face-Off percentage with 65.4% of faceoffs won, and he's providingthe offense for the Krushers.
For the Krushers, this is Paul Varelans.
CHI-TOWN KRUSHERS 10-GAME REPORT:
Record during past 10: 6-1-3
Notable Transactions:
Called up D - David Ytfeldt prior to Game 29
Placed D - Bryan Allen on injured reserve prior to Game 29
Placed C - Josef Vasicek on injured reserve prior to Game 31
LW - Richard Zednik serves 2-game suspension.
"I can't see myself playing for any other franchise" Says Fleury
Des Moines, IA - In Des Moines the management reports that team roster is healthy and that morale is high. The team coaching staff have reported that talanted right winger Robert Dome has impressed a lot in the past practices and will get more ice time in upcoming games. "Robert Dome has showed that he is willing to fight for position on this team. His discipline at the practices and at the games have been extremly good. Robert Dome could develop into a real good hockey player" said assistant coach Bob Gainey that also praised veteran defender Phil Housley, that he thinks are worth more credit as he is on his way to an excellent season.
General Manager, Andreas Larsson, have still just made one move in the transfer market when farm team winger Robert Kron left the organization for future draft picks, but the Swedish manager don't seem to take notice that some local experts keep criticizing him for being too inactive. "I'm pleased with how the team is developing right now. We still don't get out 100% from the roster we have here and I'm pleased with the players we have at the club. We have teams knocking at our door for some players, but I will not deal anybody from this team unless we gain something. I can't go around making trades just to bring new faces to team every day. That's not the way you run a hockey club." said the general manager when confronted.
Very few trade rumours are therefore flying around in Des Moines, but one that keeps coming back is that the Canadian star winger Theo Fleury is on the move. Many new clubs have been linked with Fleurys name the past month. Toronto Stallions and Quebec City Corinthians are two clubs among others that apparently have showed interest in Fleury. General Manager Larsson didn't want to comment the rumours. "I have no intention of speculating in the clubs strategy with the press." said Larsson.
The subject of the speculation himself, Theoren Fleury, said that he hadn't heard anything about any trade and that he feels that it would be hard to leave the Dominators as he enjoy playing in Des Moines. "I came here last season together with my good friend Steve Yzerman from the insecure situation with the IceDogs franchise, and this season with the Dominators is the first in the past years were I could concentrate and focus on playing hockey without having a constant threat of being traded the after the next game. I guess this shows on the ice as me and Steve have great time out there right now. I can't see myself playing for any other franchise. I have done my share of moving in this league" said Fleury.
The interesting thing, as Fleury stated, is that the feared duo both came from IceDogs that originally were the Monarchs franchise, that Larsson once owned.
Points Of Interest From Head Office
-How does Dmitri Mironov play for the offensive powerhouse the Voodoo, and doesn't manage to get a single point in 26 games?
-Stallions have only allowed 72 goals in 30 games, by far the best defense in the league (Voodoo come second with 92 goals against). And of those 72 goals, 9 were allowed by Brian Finley on a bad night...
-Has anyone seen Rob Sypes and Scott Baden anywhere? They would surely win the award for "Most Invisible Man" and their team 'Most Likely To Be Sold Soon"...
-Waterloo Lunatics, even with Mario Lemieux on their roster, have yet to lose a single Man Game due to an injury this season...
-Krushers prospect Marian Gaborik is tearing up the WFHL with 31 points in 18 games. Will we finally see a non-Farmers player win the Art Ross in the WFHL?
-IceDogs are playing for a pathetic .183 win pct, even worse than the experts had predicted. Where is the hope?
-Meanwhile the Oceanics and Hawks are playing very solid hockey, and represent the best turnaround in one season in WHL History...
-After being waived by the IceDogs and claimed by Vancouver, defenseman Adam Bennett is back on Mississauga's roster after being claimed off waivers once again...
-Central Scouting has already published a list of 52 players who could be available in the next entry draft... (W.H.L. Web Page)
-What happened to Pavol Demitra and Milan Hejduk of the Vipers? They are not producing nowhere near what they have been in the last 2 seasons, despite being a bit better surrounded. Perhaps the Vipers are just more balanced and don't need them to carry the load of scoring all the goals by themselves...
-Steve Yzerman. Some things just get even better with age. Look at his numbers this year...
(Taking a biographical and statistical look at superstars of today and tomorrow)
This month we look at Mats Sundin from the Quebec City Corinthians
NHL History:
Mats Sundin was drafted first overall in the 1989 Entry Draft by the Québec Nordiques, becoming the first-ever European taken with the top selection. One year later on October 4, 1990, Mats made his NHL debut and scored his first goal against the Whalers. By year's end, he had scored 23 goals and 59 points as a teenage rookie. In 1991-92, Mats improved to 33 goals and 76 points and paced his team with 231 shots on net. On March 5, Mats scored five goals and added two assists against the Whalers; four days later, he was awarded NHL Player of the Week honours.
In 1992-93, Mats led the Nordiques to a 52-point improvement in the standings to make the playoffs for the first time in six years. Mats led the team with 67 assists and 114 points and strung together a 30-game scoring (45 points) at the start of the season. On November 3, he won his second Player of the Week honour. In six playoff games, he scored four points. At year's end, he won the Viking Award for being selected the top Swedish player in the NHL. In 1993-94, Mats led the Nordiques with 33 goals and won his second Viking Award.
On June 28, 1994 Mats was traded with Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a first-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and a first-round draft pick. In his first season with his new team, Mats paced the Maple Leafs with 23 goals, 47 points, nine power-play goals, four game-winning goals and 173 shots on net. In the playoffs, he scored nine points in seven games. In 1995-96, Mats was again an offensive force for the Maple Leafs, this time leading the club with 33 goals, 50 assists, 83 points, six short-handed goals, seven game-winning goals and 301 shots on net. He also played in his first All-Star Game. In the playoffs, he scored four points in six games. In 1996-97, Mats led his team in goals (41), points (94), game-winning goals (eight) and shots (281) for the third-straight season. He also paced his team in assists (53), power-play goals (tied at seven) and short-handed goals (four) for the second time in three years. He played in his second NHL All-Star Game and won his third Viking Award.
On September 30, 1997, Mats was named captain of the Maple Leafs. He led the team in goals (33), assists (41), points (74), power-play goals (nine), game-winning goals (tied at five) and shots (219) and played in his third-straight All-Star Game. At year's end, he ranked 11th on The Hockey News' Top-50 Players list. After missing the playoffs in back-to-back years, Mats captained the Maple Leafs to a 19-point improvement in 1998-99 to get back into the playoffs. Mats paced the team with 52 assists and 83 points and helped the club set team records for wins (45). During the season, he won his second Player of the Week honour (October 26) and played in his fourth All-Star Game (one goal). In the playoffs, Mats led the team to the Eastern Conference finals with 16 points in 17 games.
In 1999-2000, Mats led the Maple Leafs to their first division title (the Northeast) in 37 years with 45 wins and 100 points (club record). Mats played in his fifth All-Star Game (at Toronto's Air Canada Centre) and led the team on the year with 32 goals, 41 assists, 71 points and a +16 rating. In the playoffs, he scored eight points in 12 games as the Maple Leafs reached the second round.
In 2000-01, Mats led the Maple Leafs with 46 assists, 74 points and six game-winning goals. In February, he played in his sixth straight All-Star Game. In the opening round of the playoffs, Mats helped his team upset the second-seed Senators in four games. On April 11, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 overtime win in game one.
Mats spent the 1988-89 season with Nacka IK of the Swedish first division. The following season, he joined Djurgården as an eighteen year old and scored ten goals and 18 points in 34 games. In the 1990 post-season, Mats scored seven times in eight games to lead Djurgården to a playoff championship. At year's end, he won the Årets Junior Trophy as the top Swedish junior.
Mats won a silver medal with Sweden's under-17 midget team at the 1988 Québec Cup. He then graduated to the U-20 team and participated in the 1990 World Junior Championships. Just over four months later, he played for the national team and won a silver medal at the World Championships in Switzerland. In 1991, Mats first won a gold medal with Sweden at the World Championships and paced the tournament with 12 points in ten games. He scored seven times and was named a tournament All-Star. Later that year, he was a tournament All-Star at the 1991 Canada Cup. In April 1992, Mats led Sweden to its second straight World Championships gold medal. Mats was a tournament All-Star, won the Best Forward directorate award and scored the gold medal-winning goal.
At the 1994 World Championships, Mats won a bronze medal and paced the tournament with 14 points. In August 1996, he was a tournament All-Star at the World Cup of Hockey. In February 1998, he represented Sweden at the Winter Olympics in Nagano and scored three times in four games. Two months later, he led Sweden to a gold medal at the World Championships. Mats had 11 points in ten games and was a tournament All-Star.
Mats won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships in Hannover.
On March 21, 2001, Mats was named to the 2002 Swedish Olympic team.
WHL History:
Mats Sundin was drafted in the 2th round (43rd overall) by the Bridge City Huskies (Now the Mississauga Vipers). Mats was traded to the Fort Saskatchewan Fury (Now the New England Dropkicks) on November 3, 1995. He was then traded to the Raleigh Wolfpack (Now the Harrisburg Bears) on January 25, 1996. A day later he was traded to the Milton Mustangs (Now the Toronto Stallions). His final move was on March 31, 1996 when he was traded to the Newfoundland Gangstaz (Now the Quebec City Corinthians) where he won his Cyber Cup ring.
Mats is well decorated in the WHL. Along with his Cyber Cup ring, he won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1995-96 (WHL-1). He was also a Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1996-97 (WHL-2).
Mats has only ever missed four games to injury in his career. That has helped him become the second highest scorer in WHL history behind only Eric Lindros. He has amassed 632 points in 503 regular season games.
Mats has appeared in 4 of the 6 All-Star competitions in the WHL. He has also been named to both the 1998 and 2002 Swedish Olympic teams.
Mats greatest personal accomplishment to date has to be his single handed domination of the Chi-Town Krushers, where he scored 7 goals and 1 assist on 14 shots! While it has not yet been confirmed, it is widely believed to be a WHL record.
Below are his WHL scoring statistics.
(Mats Sundin Age: 30 Born: February 13, 1971)
Jersey Handed Position Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
13 Right Centre 6 8 8 8 8 7 9 8 8 6 8 84
Regular Season Statistics
Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT Shot PIM PCT
95-96(1) GANGSTAZ 86 56 37 93 12 26 2 5 0 370 149 15.1
96-97(2) CORINTHS 74 39 68 107 47 25 0 5 1 350 142 11.1
97-98(3) CORINTHS 70 33 49 82 18 13 0 4 0 293 153 11.3
98-99(4) CORINTHS 74 42 61 103 60 20 4 5 0 367 95 11.4
99-00(5) CORINTHS 84 41 65 106 55 17 1 5 0 404 93 10.1
00-01(6) CORINTHS 84 58 50 108 39 21 3 7 0 447 61 13.0
01-02(7) CORINTHS 31 13 20 33 11 3 1 1 0 156 64 8.3
Regular Season 503 282 350 632 242 125 11 32 1 2387 757 11.8
Play-Off Statistics
Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT Shot PIM PCT
95-96(1) GANGSTAZ 9 3 5 8 -3 2 0 0 0 23 26 13.0
96-97(2) CORINTHS 24 11 10 21 10 6 1 1 0 100 64 11.0
97-98(3) CORINTHS 11 7 9 16 10 5 0 0 0 73 33 9.6
98-99(4) CORINTHS 20 11 20 31 -1 9 1 1 0 83 29 13.3
99-00(5) CORINTHS 15 3 9 12 9 0 0 2 0 58 24 5.2
00-01(6) CORINTHS 11 5 3 8 -11 3 1 3 0 53 9 9.4
Play-Off 90 40 56 96 14 25 3 7 0 390 185 10.3
Pre-Season Statistics
Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT Shot PIM PCT
96-97(2) CORINTHS 5 5 5 10 1 3 0 0 0 24 9 20.8
97-98(3) CORINTHS 10 5 6 11 -2 4 0 0 0 48 11 10.4
98-99(4) CORINTHS 10 6 10 16 6 3 0 0 0 37 18 16.2
99-00(5) CORINTHS 10 4 5 9 0 3 0 0 0 37 4 10.8
00-01(6) CORINTHS 8 5 0 5 0 2 0 0 0 32 8 15.6
01-02(7) CORINTHS 7 5 1 6 2 4 0 0 0 25 9 20.0
Pre-Season 50 30 27 57 7 19 0 0 0 203 59 14.8
All-Star Statistics
Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT Shot PIM PCT
96-97(2) WALES 3 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 5 2 0.0
97-98(3) WALES 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.0
98-99(4) WALES 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 5 0 20.0
00-01(6) WALES 3 1 1 2 -1 1 0 0 0 10 2 10.0
All-Star 8 2 3 5 2 1 0 1 0 22 6 9.1
Olympic Statistics
Season Team GP G A PTS +/- PP SH GW GT Shot PIM PCT
97-98(3) SWEDEN 8 3 3 6 -6 2 0 0 0 36 35 8.3
Olympic 8 3 3 6 -6 2 0 0 0 36 35 8.3
(Transcripts of interviews with General Managers from around the W.H.L.)
This week we talked with Kris Pongratz from the Rocky Mountain Express
We are talking to Kris Pongratz of the Rocky Mountain Express this week. Kris is currently the only two-time winner of the coveted Cyber Cup, having won it in 1997-98 (WHL-3) and 1999-2000 (WHL-5). The Express were once one of the oldest teams in the league, but shrewd trading has enabled the club to inject a fair amount of youth while not losing too much talent. In fact the only players still with the club and who were with them for both Cups are; Ron Francis, Benoit Hogue, Chris Pronger and Steve Smith.
The Strangers/Express have perennially been a conference challenger, in fact during the four seasons since Mr. Pongratz took over in 1997 (WHL-3) they have been no lower than third and have led the conference twice. Their biggest conference rivalry is with the Voncouver Voodoo. The two years they did not lead the conference the Voodoo did.
Two years ago, the Express knocked the Voodoo out of the playoffs in 6 games. Last year the Voodoo became only the second team in WHL history to come back from a 3 game deficit to win a series, beating the Express. {The other team was the Kingston Corinthians in the 1997 (WHL-2) playoffs against the Toronto Stallions}.
The Express, at the time this article was written, were sitting second in their conference behind the Voodoo. Now on with the interview:
YSI: "Kris, welcome and thank you for joining us. It's good to have an intelligent interviewee again after last week. First off, you've recently traded four year Express veteran Luc Robitaille and five year veteran Doug Gilmour along with others in a huge deal. Receiving, notably, Shannahan, Niedermayer and Rucchin how do you see this improving your club?"
Kris: "Overall this give's our team a huge boost in speed, and I believe that will be a key factor in who is successful out west. In Shanahan, we get a prototypical Express player who will go to battle every night, he'll bring more than just points to the table, and should fill a void we've been missing on the wing since Cam retired. Rucchin is another sound player who we feel hasn't fulfilled his offensive abilities and will be given the opportunity to do so in the Rockies. He'll also see key PK time and should be able to fill Dougie's old job nicely. We've wanted to get Niedermayer since his play against us in the WHL4 Campbell Conference finals, we must have tried off and on every week for 2 years, if he plays like we know he can, this will prove to be a crucial piece of the puzzle come playoffs, He has the potential to be our next Bourque-like workhorse. We gave away some good talent, however overall, I'm confident we're a better team today."
YSI: "Are there any other major deals on the horizon or are you content with the club for a while?"
Kris: "I've always told every GM that I'm open to anything that can make our club better. There are no "untouchables" in this franchise merely individuals who battle each day for their spots on the top lines and some contributions are more highly valued than others. So far this season we have 10 players from our affiliate in Melville Saskatchewan that have spent time with us at various points and those players have played 44 combined games and scored 20 points, it's also interesting to note only one of those 10 has gone pointless during the call-up."
YSI: "Is your main objective to get younger or better, or attempt to do both at the same time?"
Kris: "Our main objective has been, and always will be, to be better. We're not interested in running a farm team for the WHL's elite clubs much like the Steelcats have done, nor are we interested in deceiving our fans by abandoning all hopes of contending and stockpiling youngsters who may or may not pan out in 2-3 seasons and still only end up with a mediocre team like the Icedogs. One thing that so many GM's seem to forget in this league is that the players in the age range of 28-35 are the ones who perform on a consistent basis, and of course, that's always been the case because this is a man's league. If you look at the top scorers right now, only Daniel Briere stands out as a player not in this demographic. Sakic, Francis, Selanne, Forsberg, Lidstrom, Straka, Modano, Jagr, and so on, these guys are all in their prime. The key to building a good team is to have balance, and always have 2-3 guys ready to come up and enter that prime for those who are ready to decline. The dream is to have a team of guys all 24 and under so you can have 20 stars for 10 years, but in reality, the guy who goes for balance is going to contend for that Cup and be more consistent in those 10 years by the virtue of his options."
YSI: "You have gone from being chased to being the chaser as you find yourself chasing rival Vancouver for a season and a half now. Has it been a difficult adjustment for the club and its fans? And what do you plan to change this situation?"
Kris: "It goes back and forth, usually depending on which team can build a good streak over the season. I wouldn't relate our club as being "behind" the Voodoo, we are likely less focused and determined at this point. You refer to last season, a campaign in which we had 10 more losses than Vancouver, but we also had a mid-season slump in which we only won 2 of 17 games or near that, it was a frustrating time and had we been focused, and won a couple of those 4 point games, the division and conference could have easily been ours again. So far this season we're 6 points apart, and I think we can easily improve on that, especially with our newest additions in the next 58 games. Part of that balance I've talked about is related to putting guys who are still developing in some serious situations and there is a learning curve involved, and is likely why we've been a step behind in the standings, although long term we're focused to taking this course. I'd rather finish 3rd if I have to and have a prepared team for the playoffs than cruise to first and have lack of depth. We're a 1st place club when we play to our potential and that's what I'm most concerned with. Our fans expect first-rate hockey and I think our track record in the WHL speaks for itself, the road to the Cyber Cup goes through the Rockies, they know it and I think the rest of the WHL is waking up to that reality. We don't plan to change much, we've got a good ship here for the most part."
YSI: "Is there a respect between the two clubs? Or is it a true dislike-driven rivalry?"
Kris: "I would say that a degree of respect has been formed over the last year or so, but unquestioned it is the most bitter rivalry in the league. It likely doesn't get as much press as it should being out west and having Darren and I being some of the busier scouting GM's, but there are a lot of story lines, Marleau and Shanahan now being Ex-Voodoo, Pronger-Peca battles, Francis-Forsberg fighting for the scoring lead, Bondra-Kariya always in a race for the Richard Trophy, hell, me and Darren have even had some heated talks in the league meetings and over issues of league politics. The respect comes from the fact that the Voodoo wouldn't have been as prolific as they have been without the push of us coming in like gangbusters and stealing some of their fan-base and fire by taking the Cyber Cup in WHL3 back in the lower mainland. And we wouldn't have been able to establish ourselves as perhaps the WHL's most elite franchise so far without the wars and lessons we've had with them for 4 years now."
YSI: "You say your greatest rivalry is with the Voodoo, and that is clear. However, only two playoff finals have gone seven games and you were involved in both. First beating the Lunatics in 1998 (WHL-3), and then beating the Stallions in 2000 (WHL-5). The Lunatics have since fallen on hard times, but the Stallions continue to thrive, is there any rivalry there? Or with anyone in the Wales?"
Kris: "I think it's fair to say that the Express and Stallions have a rivalry going, one that started from hate, and possibly jealousy and evolved into one of mutual respect. It's no secret that Brian doesn't really like the western attitude, and will be the first to tell you that yes, Toronto is the centre of the hockey universe. But I think following our matches in the WHL5 finals, which many in the WHL will tell you has been the most exciting finals yet, he's come around a bit, I'd even say we're one of the teams he's on better terms with in the west. We even made a serious trade last season, and I don't generally make deals with GM's I don't get along with. On the ice our clubs mean business, he's the GM of the most consistant team of the East. But after the game, I'd have a beer with him. Otherwise I dont think the Steelcats particularily like us, we enjoy playing them and also I'd say the Icedogs like to gauge themselves agianst us."
YSI: "Ok, we have added a new feature to 'You Said It'. We will now be accepting calls from listeners from cities around the WHL. To contact us with your questions call 1-80-ASK-US-ONE We have a caller on the line now, this is Norm from Boston..."
Kris and YSI in unison: "Hi Norm!"
Norm: "Um, that's not funny. My question is; clearly Ron Francis can not be counted on to lead the Express forever. Is he next to be shipped out for younger talent?"
Kris: "I can see your concern here Norm, although Ronnie isn't showing any signs of slowing up right now. We're talking about a guy who scored an amazing 53pts in 20 games his first playoff with us. That's just amazing, and sent us a clear message that we owe it to Ron to let him lead us however far he can. I've always said it's up to other teams to pry great players from us with an offer we can't refuse so I don't think we'll be seeking to deal Ron anytime soon."
YSI: "Ok, so how do you see your conference finishing up? And perhaps you could give us your take on who you see playing in the finals?"
Kris: "Well the Campbell will likely play out as it has for a while The Express/Voodoo will fight for 1st, with the victor claiming the conference the the other 3rd, The Krushers/Dropkicks will battle for 2nd/4th and then you have the Vikings who will strive to make things interesting for the Krushers/Dropkicks in an effort to grab 4th, but should slip to 5th. This year the Hawks and Saints should be the newcomers on the playoff block in a battle for 6-7 spot And I'd give the edge to the Islanders to grab 8th.... After the 1st round it should come down to the big 4, and then in round 3 I like the chances of a Voodoo/Express matchup... Whoever's hot and on track at that point could go to the show. Out East, Im going to take the Bulls to be a surprise of sorts and make the finals. I like what I've seen from them so far, and I think they have what it takes to get out of the division and take the Conference."
YSI: "Very good. Now, you were able to build your team due to the league implementing a misunderstood retirement system. You subsequently went out and grabbed every aging star you could find. How was it that you were able to see the flaws in the retirement system and no one else apparently could? When did you realize that you could do what you did?"
Kris: "I wouldn't say that the success of our team was based solely on the fact that we stocked up on a veteran lineup for the first couple years. I would say that the profit of our early moves came more from the fact that younger players were misjudged as being highly valued by our opposition, and our organization knew that young players are hit and miss. When you trade for a Messier or Bondra or Francis, you know what your getting and the teams that dealt them to us were fully aware of the production they were dealing. Their hope was that the players we sent the other way would have more productive careers in the long term. Some like Rob Blake likely will, others like Jassen Cullimore haven't. We were in the same division as the WHL's most prolific offence to date, when we came in, we had no choice to opt for experience, we didn't have time to wait and compete. Part of the reason we weren't hit hard by retirement I'd like to believe is camradarie, after a championship those guys all wanted to come back for another and another, I was always sure we wouldn't lose everyone all at once, we had too tightly knit a group."
YSI: "Ok we have another caller, this is Walter from Brantford, go ahead."
Walter: "Are the rumours about Wayne Gretzky wanting the head coaching job of the Express true? And what does Cam Neely think about his future?"
Kris: "Walter, you sound familiar, have we met before?"
Walter: "Um...no, I'm just your typical hockey dad...um..."
Kris: "Anyway, I haven't heard any of these rumours and so far we're ecstatic as an organization at the job Wayne has done in Melville. I touched earlier on how many games Millionaires played have played for us so far and we've seen some of the most competitive battles down on the farm then we've ever seen, and it's shown in the record, the Millionaires have been more successful than the Bearcats or Wanderers have ever been. This can only breed into our system and give more hope for our future, and we're pleased with how Wayne is helping the franchise right now, but you're right, with the job he's doing, we'll likely see him in the WHL before long. Cam's job is secure, but we don't want Wayne to be unhappy, and as far as I know right now, he's enjoying his time in the WFHL."
YSI: "Thanks for the call Walter. Kris, seven of your regular players are 34 years old or older, and 5 more are over the age of 30. Is there a rush to get younger, or are you content with the mix of youth and experience on the club?"
Kris: "I'm quite happy with the mix as long as the production remains. If we start slipping in the standings, we might have to sacrifice some of our high potential guys, but for the most part, I'd like to groom a franchise where there's always a 'next one' ready to step up."
YSI: "You are running the German team at the Olympics. Your roster is rather sparse at this point. Are you finding it difficult to find players or are you just keeping tight-lipped about it?"
Kris: "Of all the Olympic teams, we have the toughest job in putting a team together, and I can assure you there is lots of work being done behind the scenes. You look at Canada, Sweden, the US, etc. they have a huge pool of star players to draw on and each player won't be critical to the team compared to the sum of the teams parts. On the other hand, we have to carefully look at the parts that might make our team and there are many dual-citizenship players who we are trying to recruit but there is a lot of paperwork and waivers from other nations we have to sort out, but I suspect you will start to see some news on recruitment in the next week or so, we should have our list narrowed to 30 or so. We're even looking at bringing back some retired guys, so there could be some surprises. We're not expected to win any games in the tourney, so the challenge is there, but that's what I love about it."
YSI: "Now, as always, I like to give my guest the final word; so Kris the floor is yours."
Kris: "Well, in the past, it's been cool in a way to put down the Express organization, and it's shown as I've lost such popularity contests as the 'Canadian Olympic Vote' and 'GM of the year' voting in the awards. However in our business, if your opposition likes you, that's probably a bad thing. We're starting to get our respect as an organization and that's the bottom line. You don't have to like us, but we're doing a good job and as long as we make it hard for other teams to play us, I'll be proud of this franchise. Regardless of others opinions or theories as to why we've been the most successful team in the WHL since 1997."
Note: The two questions raised during the interview were actual questions from league participants. I would like some questions sent to me as soon as possible for my next interview. YSI will be interviewing Chris Kubinec of the Oakville Bulls, so send your questions to YSI.
(Updates on the Olympic games in Salt Lake City 2002)
Team Czech Republic Update
Prague, Czech - Earlier this week it was announced that Josef Augusta would be team Czech Republic's assistant coach.
Team Sweden Update
Stockholm - Sweden - The Swedish hockey federation announced earlier today at a press conference the names of the last 9 players that will participate in team Swedens Olympic campaign. Rickard Fagerlund, the head of the Swedish hockey federation, was the one that presented the names.
Rickard - "Hi and welcome to this team Sweden press conference. As most of you know the olympics are only two months away so we thought it was time to announce the last nine names on our olympic roster. Lets start of with the goalkeepers. We've two great goalies in Salo and Hedberg, but since we thought it might be good to have a third alternative we've decided that youngster Johan Holmqvist will accompany the other two. Holmqvist is still very young and it isn't very likely that he'll see any action. He's just here to learn."
Unknown Canadian reporter - "Holmqvist?!? Who the heck is this bum?"
Rickard - "Well, that's for you to find out, now isn't it?"
Rickard - "Oh, let's continue with our defensmen. Marcus Ragnarsson (Hawks), Calle Johansson (Vipers), Anders Eriksson (Islanders), Mattias Norstrom (Oceanics) and Christer Olsson (Krushers) have been added to the Roster as of today."
Chi-Town Reporter - "Why hadn't Mr. Olsson been named earlier when it's obvious that he is Swedens best defensman?"
GM Nilsson - "Well, since he is on a rival team to my Hawks I decided to wait with his nomination. I would have waited a few more days if I had been given the opportunity. Christer hasn't been playing that good this season."
Rickard - "With that out of the way let's go on with the centers. Oh, wait we've already named four centers. Let's move on to the right wingers instead. Former Modo player and linesmate with Naslund and Forsberg in the junior world champoinship some years ago; Niklas Sundstrom (Oceanics). Veteran winger Ulf Dahlen (Raiders) has also been added to the roster."
Kent Forsberg - "Why haven't I been asked to help out with team Sweden when it's I who have taught almost half of these players how to play hockey?"
Rickard - "Shave off your beard and I'll think about it! Now let's move on to the last name on the list. The 25th player on the team Sweden roster is... Tomas Holmstom (Steelcats). So there you have it the complete team Sweden roster. If you have any questions regarding any of these nomination you all have to ask GM Nilsson."
Al Stricken - "Why won't you trade Sullivan and Berezin to the Stallions?"
GM Nilsson - "This is a team Sweden press conference if you hadn't noticed that!"
Al Stricken - "Errrr.."
GM Nilsson - "If that was all the questions you had I'd like to thank all of you for coming here today."
Team Slovakia Update
SLOVAK TEAM SHAPING UP
Chi-Town - With the deadline rapidly approaching to select a full Olympic roster, Vice-GM Peter Stastny and GM Jes Golbez Ursulak have been busy scouting the WHL, comparing notes, and deciding who will lead the Slovaks into the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The battles have been close, and Stastny wonders how the fit the pieces to get the best team.
"The Slovaks always have such talented offensive players," remarked Stastny on a recent visit to Vancouver to watch Marian Hossa, "but we need to select the players that can fit defensive roles and play a 2-way game. We won't be able to win if they play a one-dimensional game."
The Slovaks haven't named any additional players, but judging by the lack of depth around the WHL for the Slovaks, it seems rather obvious which players should and will make the squad, such as Marian Hossa.
WHO'S HOT
Marian Hossa - LW, Vancouver Voodoo. 28 points in 31 games and +27. Hossa plays with very talented players in Vancouver, which boost his totals, and should be expected to play with talented players during the Olympics.
Robert Svehla - D, Boston Hawks. Ever since joining the Boston Hawks, Svehla has been a 2-way force to be reckoned with, and by far the best player for the Hawks this season. Svehla will be the leader for the Slovakian blueline and will be perhaps their most important player overall.
Zigmund Palffy - RW, Toronto Stallions - 33 points in 31 games with a +21 rating. Palffy has become a more complete player this season and his international experience in the past will loom large.
WHO'S NOT:
Lubomir Visnovsky - D, Hollywood SeaWolves. 14 points in 31 games but a horrible -29 rating. Lubos has had a very tough time adjusting to the WHL, and it doesn't help that he was immediately given 25 minutes of ice-time per game playing on a team with absolutely no talent. Amazingly, the SeaWolves coaching staff refuses to pair Visnovsky with giant Zdeno Chara, who has a +2 rating (amazing) on the talentless SeaWolves.
Lubomir Sekeras - D, Chicoutimi Sparrows. Although the Sparrows are doing well, "Seko" has mumbled about returning home. He's played only about 13 minutes a night, and has felt very unwanted and under-utilized to date. Amazing how the Sparrows use a high draft pick to take Seko, but don't use him for much more than depth duty.
Jan Lasak - D, St. Louis Shock (WFHL affiliate to Chi-Town Krushers). A playoff hero of sorts for the Express last season, Lasak has fallen back to earth with a rather shoddy .882 SV% and 3.53 GAA. The Slovaks worry about their goaltending, but it was hoped Lasak could steal the #1 job.
It now appears that Pavol Rybar of HC Slovan Bratislava will be named #1, while Miroslav Simonovic will fight with Lasak for the #2 job. Rybar leads the Slovak Extraliga with an astonishing .948 SV% in 19 games while Simonovic, who recently returned home to Poprad, is in 2nd with .945%. Both are around .030 better than any other goaltender in the league.
Peter Stastny also announced officially that center Lubomir Vaic will be allowed to play for Team Germany.
"We didn't have a spot for him on our team," remarked Stastny, "and he stated his wish to play for Team Germany, since he has relatives there. We cleared it with the IIHF and the WHL, and they agreed to it. We wish him the best of luck, because he will need it against the Slovaks!"
It is expected that Stastny and Ursulak will take right up till the deadline to choose the Slovakian roster. They need all the time they can afford to get the goaltending question answered, and to decide the ever important 'role-players'
From Chi-Town, this is Michaela Gazdikova.
Be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Zdeno Chara.
The Rosters
Canada's Roster
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
88 Eric Lindros 1+ R C 9 6 9 9 8 7 8 9 8 7 9 89
20 Joe Sakic 0 L C 6 9 5 8 7 7 9 9 9 5 8 82
66 Mario Lemieux 0 R C 5 9 7 9 3 8 8 9 9 5 9 81
12 Owen Nolan 1+ R RW 9 7 8 8 8 5 6 7 7 8 9 82
15 Theoren Fleury 0 R RW 8 9 3 8 9 3 9 6 8 6 9 78
9 Paul Kariya 0 L LW 4 9 5 8 5 9 9 9 9 6 9 82
14 Brendan Shanahan 0 R LW 7 6 9 7 8 5 7 7 6 7 9 78
44 Chris Pronger 1+ L D 7 7 9 9 8 6 6 9 7 9 7 84
4 Rob Blake 0 R D 9 6 9 9 8 5 6 8 6 9 8 83
55 Ed Jovanovski 0 L D 8 6 9 8 8 5 7 8 6 8 7 80
2 Al MacInnis 0 R D 5 7 7 9 6 7 7 7 8 7 9 79
31 Martin Brodeur 0 L G 9 9 8 8 9 8 8 9 9 - - 77
29 Curtis Joseph 0 L G 7 9 5 9 9 7 9 5 9 - - 69
United States Roster
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
9 Mike Modano 0 L C 3 8 7 9 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 82
27 Jeremy Roenick 0 R C 7 9 7 8 6 6 9 8 9 6 7 82
39 Doug Weight 0 L C 5 8 7 9 8 6 7 9 9 6 7 81
10 John LeClair 1- L LW 6 7 9 7 8 8 7 6 9 6 8 81
7 Keith Tkachuk 0 L LW 8 7 8 8 8 2 7 8 9 6 8 79
18 Chris Drury 0 R LW 6 7 6 7 7 7 7 8 7 6 7 75
10 Tony Amonte 0 L RW 7 9 6 8 8 7 8 7 7 6 8 81
9 Bill Guerin 0 R RW 7 7 8 9 8 5 7 7 7 6 8 79
28 Adam Deadmarsh 0 R RW 8 7 7 8 7 5 7 6 7 7 7 76
2 Brian Leetch 0 L D 6 8 5 9 9 8 7 9 8 5 7 81
28 Brian Rafalski 0 R D 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 7 6 6 77
7 Chris Chelios 1+ R D 6 7 6 9 8 6 7 7 7 8 6 77
2 Derian Hatcher 0 L D 9 5 9 8 8 6 6 6 6 9 3 75
7 Shawn Chambers 1+ L D 4 7 8 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 76
4 Eric Weinrich 0 L D 7 6 7 8 8 8 7 7 6 8 4 76
1 Chris Rogles L G 7 9 6 7 7 8 8 6 8 - - 66
1 Mike Dunham L G 6 8 8 7 5 8 8 6 9 - - 65
Russia's Roster
GM: Chris Kordyback (Dropkicks) and Jon Lemoine (IceDogs)
Coach: Adam Rettschlag(chuk) (Dropkicks) and Don Cherry(ov) (IceDogs)
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
73 Alexei Zhamnov 0 L C 5 7 6 7 8 8 7 8 9 5 9 79
19 Alexei Yashin 0 R C 4 7 7 8 9 8 7 7 8 6 7 78
91 Sergei Fedorov 0 L C 5 9 6 8 7 5 9 7 7 7 7 77
12 Sergei Nemchinov 0 L C 5 5 7 6 5 8 6 6 6 7 5 66
22 Andrei Nikolishin 0 L C 5 8 5 7 6 8 7 6 7 6 5 70
14 Sergei Samsonov 0 R LW 4 9 5 7 8 8 8 8 8 5 7 77
24 Viktor Kozlov 0 R LW 5 6 8 7 8 8 7 8 8 6 6 77
13 Vyacheslav Kozlov 1+ L LW 4 8 4 7 7 7 8 6 7 6 7 71
18 Ilya Kovalchuk 0 R LW 6 7 6 5 5 6 7 6 6 4 7 65
19 Oleg Saprykin 1- L LW 7 6 7 6 6 5 6 6 6 7 8 70
10 Pavel Bure 0 L RW 6 9 6 9 7 6 9 7 8 6 8 81
29 Alexei Kovalev 1+ L RW 5 8 7 9 8 5 8 8 8 4 9 79
89 Alexander Mogilny 0 L RW 5 7 6 6 7 7 8 8 7 5 9 75
21 Valeri Bure 1+ R LW 3 8 4 7 8 8 8 6 8 4 7 71
61 Maxim Afinogenov 1+ L RW 4 8 4 5 6 7 7 6 7 4 6 64
55 Sergei Gonchar 0 L D 6 8 7 7 7 6 8 9 8 6 9 81
2 Oleg Tverdovsky 0 L D 5 8 5 8 9 8 8 8 8 6 7 80
36 Dimitri Yushkevich 0 R D 9 7 8 7 8 7 6 7 7 8 5 79
2 Boris Mironov 0 R D 8 6 9 8 6 5 7 9 7 6 7 78
6 Sergei Zubov 0 R D 5 8 6 6 6 7 8 9 9 5 7 76
29 Alexander Khavanov 1- L D 7 6 6 7 7 7 7 6 7 6 6 72
77 Vitali Vishnevsky 0 L D 9 7 6 6 7 5 7 5 6 7 3 68
45 Alexei Zhitnik 1+ L D 6 8 7 6 6 5 7 6 7 6 6 70
53 Evgeni Nabokov 1- L G 6 8 6 8 9 7 8 6 7 - - 65
38 Nikolai Khabibulin 0 L G 6 9 7 8 8 6 7 6 7 - - 64
Sweden's Roster
GM: Peter Nilsson (Hawks)
Coach: Darren Kinnaird (Voodoo)
Assistants: Hakan Loob and Thomas Gradin
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
13 Mats Sundin 0 R C 6 8 8 8 8 7 9 8 8 6 8 84
21 Peter Forsberg 0 L C 7 7 7 7 6 7 7 9 8 7 7 79
33 Henrik Sedin 0 L C 7 7 7 6 6 5 6 8 7 7 6 72
92 Mikael Nylander 0 L C 3 7 5 7 8 8 7 7 7 5 6 70
27 Mikael Renberg 0 L RW 5 8 6 7 7 8 8 8 8 5 8 78
19 Markus Naslund 0 L RW 4 8 6 7 7 7 8 7 8 6 9 77
71 Daniel Alfredsson 0 R RW 6 7 6 7 6 8 8 8 7 6 7 76
24 Niklas Sundstrom 1- L RW 6 8 5 7 7 9 8 6 7 7 6 76
20 Ulf Dahlen 0 L RW 4 6 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 6 67
96 Tomas Holmstrom 0 2 L LW 8 7 8 6 7 7 7 6 7 6 6 75
15 Jonas Hoglund 0 R LW 4 7 8 7 8 9 6 6 7 5 7 74
20 Magnus Arvedson 0 L LW 6 9 6 6 6 7 7 6 6 9 6 74
22 Daniel Sedin 0 L LW 5 8 5 6 6 7 7 6 7 5 8 70
5 Nicklas Lidstrom 0 L D 5 7 6 9 9 8 7 8 8 8 8 83
2 Mattias Ohlund 0 L D 7 7 8 8 6 7 6 7 7 6 7 76
34 Marcus Ragnarsson 0 L D 8 7 8 7 6 7 6 8 6 6 4 73
44 Anders Eriksson 0 L D 6 7 8 7 7 8 7 7 6 6 4 73
3 Kenny Jonsson 0 L D 4 7 7 7 7 7 8 6 6 6 7 72
7 Fredrik Olausson 0 R D 5 6 6 6 7 8 7 7 7 5 8 72
16 Calle Johansson 0 L D 6 6 6 7 6 7 7 6 6 6 8 71
18 Mattias Norstrom 0 L D 7 7 7 7 7 6 7 6 6 6 3 69
33 Christer Olsson 0 L D 3 7 4 6 6 7 7 7 6 3 7 63
1 Tommy Salo 0 L G 6 8 5 6 6 7 6 6 7 - - 57
30 Johan Hedberg 0 L G 7 8 5 6 6 9 8 6 7 - - 62
32 Johan Holmqvist 0 L G 5 7 6 6 4 7 7 4 7 - - 53
Finland's Roster
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
11 Saku Koivu 1- R C 7 9 5 8 6 7 8 9 8 5 6 78
46 Juha Ylonen 0 L C 4 6 5 5 6 7 6 5 6 6 5 61
29 Jere Lehtinen 1+ R RW 5 7 4 7 5 9 7 7 6 9 6 72
8 Teemu Selanne 0 R RW 4 9 6 7 6 7 9 7 9 5 9 78
24 Sami Kapanen 0 L LW 4 8 5 6 6 9 7 7 7 6 7 72
14 Tomi Kallio 0 L LW 5 7 5 6 5 8 7 5 6 6 6 66
28 Teppo Numminen 0 R D 5 7 6 8 8 9 7 7 7 7 7 78
44 Janne Niinimaa 1- L D 7 7 8 8 8 6 6 7 7 6 6 76
48 Kimmo Timonen 0 L D 5 7 5 7 5 8 8 7 8 6 7 73
6 Jyrki Lumme 1+ L D 4 7 6 7 7 8 8 5 7 8 6 73
1 Mika Noronen 0 L G 6 7 6 7 8 6 7 7 7 - - 61
2 Jani Hurme 0 L G 4 8 6 6 3 9 7 7 7 - - 57
Czech Republic's Roster
GM: Chris Kubinec
Coach: Slavomir Lener
Assistant: Josef Augusta
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
42 Bobby Holik 0 R C 9 6 9 6 8 6 6 7 6 8 5 76
76 Radek Bonk 0 L C 7 6 8 7 8 7 6 7 6 7 6 75
94 Petr Nedved 0 L C 5 8 6 8 6 7 8 7 8 5 7 75
20 Robert Lang 0 R C 5 7 6 7 7 8 7 8 7 5 7 74
68 Jaromir Jagr 1+ L RW 8 9 8 9 9 7 9 9 9 4 9 90
17 Petr Sykora 0 L RW 3 8 5 7 7 8 8 8 8 5 8 75
25 Milan Hejduk 0 R RW 4 8 4 7 9 8 7 7 8 5 8 75
21 Radek Dvorak 0 R RW 3 8 6 7 8 9 8 7 6 6 7 75
21 Robert Reichel 1- L RW 4 7 6 7 7 8 7 6 7 5 7 71
26 Patrik Elias 0 L LW 7 8 6 7 9 7 8 9 8 6 8 83
82 Martin Straka 0 L LW 5 9 3 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 8 79
26 Martin Rucinsky 0 L LW 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 6 7 6 7 75
69 Jan Hlavac 0 L LW 5 7 6 6 8 8 7 7 7 6 7 74
4 Roman Hamrlik 0 L D 8 6 8 8 7 5 6 8 7 6 8 77
33 Filip Kuba 0 8 L D 6 6 7 8 7 8 6 7 6 6 6 73
16 Tomas Kaberle 0 L D 5 7 7 7 8 7 7 8 6 6 5 73
42 Martin Skoula 1- L D 7 7 6 6 9 8 7 6 6 6 5 73
8 Jaroslav Spacek 2- L D 6 6 6 7 8 7 6 7 6 7 6 72
13 Pavel Kubina 1+ R D 7 5 8 8 7 5 6 6 6 6 7 71
2 Richard Smehlik 0 L D 5 8 8 7 6 7 7 5 6 7 4 70
4 Michal Sykora 0 L D 6 6 7 7 3 8 7 6 7 6 7 70
8 Frantisek Kaberle 0 L D 5 7 5 7 5 8 7 6 6 7 6 69
40 Dominik Hasek 0 L G 8 9 6 9 8 9 9 7 9 - - 74
32 Roman Cechmanek 0 L G 7 9 8 8 8 7 7 4 8 - - 66
33 Milan Hnilicka 0 L G 6 8 6 6 6 8 7 4 6 - - 57
Slovakia's Roster
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
15 Jozef Stumpel 0 R C 6 6 7 8 8 8 6 8 7 6 6 76
68 Zigmund Palffy 0 L RW 5 8 5 8 5 7 8 7 8 5 8 74
14 Peter Bondra 0 L RW 6 9 5 7 6 6 9 7 8 6 9 78
43 Pavol Demitra 0 L LW 3 8 6 7 4 8 8 8 8 6 8 74
49 Vladimir Orszagh 0 L LW 8 7 5 5 3 8 6 4 5 6 5 62
37 Robert Svehla 1+ R D 6 6 6 8 8 7 7 9 7 7 6 77
2 Ivan Droppa 0 L D 6 7 6 6 7 8 8 6 7 8 5 74
24 Lubomir Visnovsky 0 L D 6 8 4 5 8 8 7 8 7 6 5 72
87 Lubomir Sekeras 0 L D 5 7 4 7 8 7 7 6 6 6 7 70
Germany's Roster
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
31 Randy Gilhen L C 6 6 6 7 8 8 6 5 5 7 5 69
17 Jochen Hecht L RW 6 7 6 6 7 7 6 6 6 7 6 70
19 Marco Sturm L LW 6 8 4 6 7 7 7 6 7 5 6 69
87 Lubomir Vaic 0 R LW 4 8 4 5 3 9 8 6 6 4 5 62
5 Uwe Krupp R D 5 5 8 6 5 7 5 6 5 7 6 65
22 Sven Butenschon L D 7 6 7 5 5 7 5 4 4 6 4 60
1 Olaf Kolzig L G 9 8 9 9 8 7 8 6 9 - - 73
(Who's available where? List of players known to be on the trading block)
Vancouver Voodoo:
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
33 Henrik Sedin 1- L C 7 7 7 6 6 5 6 8 7 7 6 72
22 Daniel Sedin 0 L LW 5 8 5 6 6 7 7 6 7 5 8 70
2 Mattias Ohlund 1+ L D 7 7 8 8 6 7 6 7 7 6 7 76
Harrisburg Bears:
Looking for younger players with high upsides
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
19 Stu Barnes 0 R C 6 7 4 7 8 8 7 6 6 7 6 72
23 Steve Washburn 0 R C 6 9 5 7 7 6 8 6 5 5 5 69
24 Viktor Kozlov 0 R LW 5 6 8 7 8 8 7 8 8 6 6 77
3 Garry Galley 1+ L D 8 6 7 6 7 7 6 7 6 6 6 72
Des Moines Dominators:
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
12 Ty Jones 0 R RW 6 4 6 8 7 5 7 7 6 5 5 66
25 Stefan Ustorf 0 L RW 5 6 5 6 5 8 6 5 5 5 5 61
92 Rick Tocchet 0 R RW 6 5 8 6 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 66
9 Darren VanImpe 0 L D 6 6 7 6 3 5 6 6 6 6 5 62
Pittsburgh Endless:
# Player's name St Inj H Ps Ag Qk Pw Fa In Pn Sk Pa PC Ck Sh Ttl
57 Antti Laaksonen 1- L LW 5 7 7 5 4 9 7 5 7 7 7 70
73 Mike Sullivan 0 L LW 7 7 5 6 6 7 7 5 5 6 4 65
16 Per-Johan Axelsson 0 L RW 6 7 4 6 8 8 7 5 6 7 4 68
71 Tommy Westlund 0 R RW 6 6 7 5 8 8 6 4 5 6 4 65
37 Sergei Zholtok 0 R RW 3 7 5 5 6 8 7 7 6 4 4 62
31 Joe Reekie 1- L D 7 5 8 7 7 6 5 5 5 7 3 65
6 Bob Boughner 0 R D 9 6 7 7 8 1 5 4 4 7 3 61
Saskatoon Enforcers:
We are looking for veteran defenders for draft picks
(With thanks to the following for their contributions)
Kris Pongratz
Michael Hebert
Darren Kinnaird
Dave McDougall
Chris Kubinec
Andrew Kitner
Jon Lemoine
Peter Nilsson
Chris Kordyback
Magnus Nilsson
Andreas Larsson
Lee McEwen
Filip Bily
Jes Golbez
Marc Hebert
Patrik Stroem
