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head coach:
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Brian Sutter
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roster:
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C - Andrew Cassels, Rico Fata, Clarke Wilm, Cory Stillman,
Bob Bassen. LW - Marty McInnis, Ed Ward, Jason Wiemer, Dave Roche.
RW - Valeri Bure, Theoren Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Greg Pankewicz,
Martin St. Louis, Rocky Thompson. D - Tommy Albelin, Cale Hulse,
Derek Morris, Todd Simpson, Sami Helenius, Eric Charron, Steve
Smith, Phil Housley. G - Tyler Moss, Ken Wregget, Jean-Sebastien
Giguere.
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injuries:
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Bob Bassen, c (suffered knee injury Sept. 18, indefinite);
Michael Nylander, c (injured knee March 26, indefinite).
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transactions:
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Signed Rico Fata, c; assigned Chris Dingman, f, Hnat
Domenichelli, f, and Travis Brigley, f, to Saint John (AHL).
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game results:
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10/09 San Jose T 3-3 (in Japan)
10/10 San Jose W 5-3 (in Japan)
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standings:
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Northwest Division GP W L T PTS GF GA
Calgary 2 1 0 1 3 8 6
Vancouver 1 1 0 0 2 4 2
Edmonton 1 0 1 0 0 1 2
Colorado 2 0 2 0 0 3 7
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team news:
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by Simon D. Lewis, Calgary Correspondent
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Sayonara Sharks!
Calgary Flames coach Brian Sutter didn't want to go to Japan. He
thought it was a waste of time and a good way to burn out his
"Young Guns" at the beginning of the season. That may be true, but
at least the Flames came away with a win and a tie. That's got to
be better than looking at two losses, a 15-hour time change,
followed by a return to the NHL regular season meat grinder.
Sutter had already shut up about the stupidity of sending a couple
of teams to the Far East. He was told, in no uncertain terms, that
dumping on league policy was not in his best interests. Gary "The
Count" Bettman is very much the iron fist within the velvet glove.
It's hard to say who looked good and who looked bad when you're
talking about games played under, what can gently be termed,
"unusual" conditions. The high diving board at one end of the rink
was constant reminder that this was really a swimming pool designed
for the 1964 Olympics.
(P.S.: If you're wondering about that "Count" reference to Lord
Bettman I suggest you catch up on your Sesame Street.)
Rico Draws Long Straw
This should be an indication of just how desperate the Flames are
for some talent. In the year after Joe Thornton showed why most 18
year olds can't play in the NHL, especially for a less than great
team, the Flames are about to throw centre Rico Fata to the lions.
Best wishes to the kid, but he's got his work cut out. If he were
going in on a team like Detroit, then coach Sutter could ease the
kid in, let the veterans show him the way. On the Flames, that
ain't an option. There are a lot of guys in Red and White who
could easily be drawing a paycheque somewhere else come trading
deadline next March.
The Young Guns
That's what the marketing people call `em and they're right. These
guys are young. With the exception of Theo Fleury, your retread
coach Steve Smith, your journeyman Ken Wregget, and your career
defensive liability Phil Housely, very few of these Flames even had
the chance to see first-run episodes of The Mod Squad. The changes
made in the off season have only patched holes with players of
approximately equal caliber. You've got Wregget for Tabaracci, Bob
Bassen for Ronnie Stern, Housely for Zalapski, and Steve Smith for
James Patrick. There are a bunch of guys like Jarome Iginla, Jason
Wiemer, Cale Hulse and Todd Simpson who still have to prove that
they belong. One guy, Hnat Domenichelli has already been shipped
to the farm along with top draft pick Daniel Tkaczuk.
Sutter's hopeful. He has to be.
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