Hockey Newsletter - Jan. 26, 2000
John Manley out indefinitely with whiplash injury
It's already old news, but we may as well mention it for the record. The people spoke and John Manley's Liberal government listened. After promising Canadian hockey teams (well, Rod Bryden) some tax and money subsidies, it looks like they finally realized that constituents care more about housing and healthcare. Will some of the teams have to head south? Probably. Will that make us any less a hockey-loving nation? No. Most of us can't afford to go see a game, or don't have a team in the neighbourhood so we watch it on television anyway... so who cares if they're playing in Kanata or Boise, Idaho?
Philadelphia Phreedom
Perpetual holdout Keith Primeau has found a new home in the City of Brotherly Love. Awwww... isn't that nice? How long will it be before this dubious first-line centre holds Bob (don't call me Bobby) Clarke hostage? He did it in Detroit when he thought he should be more than a third-line centre (behind Yzerman and Fedorov, ya right!) and he did it with the snowed-in Hurricanes. As if this guy should be paid in the same range as LeClair, Bourque and Modano. Puleeze! And what did Mr. Clarke give up? Maybe the best all round player in the game, Rod Brind'amour, and a blue chip up-and-comer goalie Jean-Marc Pelletier. Looks bad when John Vanbiesbrouck is struggling between the pipes these days.
There's talk on the boards that this trade may be the end of Lindros as a Flyer:
Agnes Gooch writes:
Hmmm... 2 power centres on the Flyers now. One of them the oft-injured Eric Lindros and the other the oft-disgruntled Keith Primeau. Does anyone smell another trade soon by Bobby Clarke in the near future? Rumour has it Bobby and the Big E... or is that Bobby and the Big E's dad? ... don't get along too well. I wouldn't be surprised if the Flyers pull the trgger for another big one soon. I wonder what the Rangers are offering?
Leaffan writes:
You know maybe those trade rumours (Sundin for Lindros) were true. When asked about it Bobby Clarke said it wasn't true cause he wasn't gonna trade anyone till after the Roger Neilson thing was over... Well whaddya know... Primeau for Brind'Amour... I thought he wasn't gonna make any trades. :-)
Who's hot...
* The New York Rangers. Yes, let's give them their due. We laughed early in the season when their big payroll wasn't bringing the wins. We waited and wondered when Neil Smith would finally fire John Muckler. And then it all changed. Perhaps a good investment gets better with long term growth -- and like a charm, here we are in mid-season, and the 7th Avenue Blue Shirts have won 7 (count 'em) 7 in a row! And the last 4 were road wins! Valeri Kamensky is back, which has helped, and Petr Nedved has decided to start putting the puck in the net (maybe because he kept hearing his name in trade talks) ... and whaddya know, they're in the playoff race for the first time in 2 years. Not bad at a time when there's all the off-ice distraction of the alleged john and crack smoker Kevin Stevens, the former All Star left-winger. Ah, New York New York. The town so nice they named it twice!
* The Montreal Canadiens. No, really! Well, not necessarily the current team, but the alumni is stellar! John LeClair, Mark Recchi and Eric Desjardins are heading to the All Star game. So are Valeri Bure and Pierre Turgeon. And Chris Chelios. Oh, we almost forgot, Petr Svoboda will be suiting up for the World team too. And Jonas Hoglund is having a career season on a line with Mats Sundin. Goalie Patrick Roy is easing brilliantly into the autumn of his career and is a great mentor for up-and-comer Avs' goalie Marc Denis. Vinnie Damphousse is looking pretty good in a Sharks' sweater in his autumn too. So when Scott Thornton was traded to Dallas this week for Juha Lind, you've gotta figure he's going to turn around and win the Selke Trophy or something... especially when some of his teammates include Guy Carbonneau, Brian Skrudland, Mike Keane and Kirk Muller!
Who's not...
* The San Jose Sharks. These guys came out of the blocks on a tear early this season. Owen Nolan and Vinnie Damphousse looked to be leading the team to the Stanley Cup. And especially in the tough Pacific Division where every team was playing above .500. Well, your 15 minutes are up. The Fish have settled back into the middle of the pack, and though Nolan is still in the top 10 scoring leaders, people are dropping him off their office hockey pools.
In the corners
Al MacInnis is the most recent All Star to hit the injury list. His collapsed lung will be keeping him out of any lineup, All Star or not, for about 3 weeks. Jaromir Jagr, the number one vote-getter in All Star balloting, is also talking about sitting out the Big Game. And no, it's not the girdled groin that is hindering his play, but some irritated stomach and rib muscles. But on an All Star high note, looks like The Dominator may show up afterall. Dominik Hasek has been out for most of the season with a goofy groin. But he has gingerly started to skate in practice and, truss willing, he'll be in the Air Canada Centre on February 6th.
Recent abdomen count (prominent abdomens only):
Jaromir Jagr
Joey Kocur (hernia)
Brent Gilchrist (hernia)
Sergie Nemchinov
Shaun Van Allen
Magnus Arvedson (yikes, did you see him hit the bench door at full flight?)
Murray Craven
Games to watch
A great rivalry has developed between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers. And CTVSportsnet has that matchup on Game Night Monday; 8:00 ET, 5:00PT.
A couple of bottom-feeders face off Sunday as Chicago comes to Vancouver; 7:00 local on CTVSportsnet Vancouver.
The Red Hot Devils have a tough week ahead of them. But it may just prove that they ARE the real thing, the going concern, the team to beat... pick a cliche. On Wednesday they're in Florida to play the nearly equally Red Hot Panthers; on Friday, weather permitting, they'll be in Carolina to face Rod Brind'amour and the 'canes; on Saturday they face the recently slumping but always dangerous Red Wings in Hockeytown.