Coyotes sporting a new look
When the Phoenix Coyotes took the ice for the first regular season
game on October 11 against the Ottawa Senators, fans had to have
their rosters handy because there were a lot of new faces attached
to some of those familiar numbers they've cheered for the past
couple seasons.
Several player changes have taken place over the last few months in
an attempt to help the Coyotes get past the first round of the
playoffs and hopefully deeper. It became rather apparent that the
team the Coyotes were putting on the ice was not getting the job
done, so GM Bobby Smith got to work right away.
On June 11, the shake up began with a deal that sent center Craig
Janney to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a much needed left
winger, Louie DeBrusk, along with a fifth-round pick in the 1998 NHL
Entry Draft. DeBrusk had one goal, two assists and 166 penalty
minutes with the Lightning last season in 54 games. Entering his
eighth season, DeBrusk has 963 penalty minutes and was a restricted
free agent. The Coyotes avoided an arbitration hearing and signed
him August 10.
In a surprising move, the Coyotes waived DeBrusk last week and then
sent him to Las Vegas in the IHL. The burly left winger has been a
disappointment for every team he's played for. Unfortunately for
the Coyotes, they found this out too late, having already given up
Craig Janney for him and signing him to a contract.
Fans also said farewell to veteran tough guy Jim McKenzie when Smith
sent him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in exchange for
Jean-Francois Jomphe. "Jean-Francois is a solid two-way player with
good speed," Smith said. "Over the past season, we have added toughness to our
lineup in Jim Cummins (and) Mark Janssens ... Jomphe will improve our
skill and speed at the forward position." The 25-year-old native of
Harve St. Pierre, Quebec, signed as a free agent with Anaheim on
September 7, 1993. In 1994-95, Jomphe played 52 games with the
Canadian National Team, registering 33-25-58 and 85 PIM.
Defenseman John Slaney was the next victim to fall from the Coyotes
roster as the Nashville Predators selected him in the expansion
draft on June 29th. The Predators also selected forward Mike
Sullivan from the Boston Bruins, and the next day, sent the
30-year-old, seven-year veteran to the Coyotes for a seventh-
round draft pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
Since entering the NHL in 1991, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Sullivan has
appeared in 453 games with San Jose, Calgary and Boston, scoring 41
goals and collecting 62 assists for 103 points with 137 PIMs. In 24
career playoff games, Sullivan has registered 4-7-11 totals with 12
PIMs.
Before the week was over, Smith made another announcement, this time
by signing veteran defenseman Jyrki Lumme to a five-year contract.
Lumme, an unrestricted free agent with the Vancouver Canucks,
brought what the Coyotes hope to be the missing piece to the
defensive puzzle for the team this season. "I'm very pleased to add
a player of Jyrki Lumme's character and ability to our team," Smith
said. "Lumme's addition gives the Coyotes one of the most skilled
defensive corps in the NHL, and certainly the best defense this
franchise has ever had. The addition of Jyrki Lumme underscores
ownership's and management's commitment to bring a winner to the
Valley of the Sun."
The Tampere, Finland, native was originally drafted by Montreal in
1986 (third choice, 57th overall). Lumme made his NHL debut with the
Canadiens in 1988-89, playing as a teammate of Smith in his first
two NHL seasons, and finishing third in scoring among all rookie
defensemen while splitting the 1989-90 season
between Montreal and Vancouver.
The day before the Coyotes had signed Lumme, the team announced that
radio color commentator Tom Kurvers would become a professional
scout, leaving a vacancy along side play-by- play man Curt Kielback.
Known widely for his hockey knowledge and insight into the game,
Kurvers will be based in Phoenix and will be responsible for
evaluating the players and playing styles of other NHL teams.
The news this summer was not all about acquisitions as 13-year
veteran defenseman Jim Johnson decided to retire after sustaining a
concussion early last season. During the same announcement, the
Coyotes offered Johnson the color commentary position left vacant
by Kurvers. Johnson played in 829 NHL games, recording 29 goals and
166 assists for 195 points. He signed with Phoenix as a free agent
on July 15, 1996 after playing two and a half seasons with
Washington. In two seasons with the Coyotes, Johnson registered
5-8-13 in 71 games.
The last big move of the summer came on Sept. 1 when the Coyotes
announced the signing of veteran forward Greg Adams. Last season,
the 6-foot-3, 195 pound forward played 49 games with the Dallas
Stars, registering 14-18-32 and 20 penalty minutes. In addition,
Adams scored seven power-play goals (tied for fourth on the Stars)
and was a plus-11. Adams played in 12 playoff games with Dallas,
recording 2-2-4.
Goaltending remained a question mark with the team all summer long
until the 25th of August when the team re-signed last seasons'
backup Jimmy Waite. The 29-year-old native of Sherbrooke, Quebec was
originally acquired by the Coyotes from Chicago on September 28, 1997
in the NHL Waiver Draft. In his 10th NHL season, the 6-foot-1, 180
pound netminder played in 17 games with the Coyotes last season,
registering the second-best record of his career. Waite posted a
5-6-1 record with a 2.12 GAA, a .913 save percentage and one
shutout. In addition, Waite played in four NHL playoff games in the
Western Conference Quarterfinals versus Detroit.
Prior to joining Phoenix, Waite played eight seasons with the
Blackhawks, appearing in 58 games and posting a 14-23-7 record.
During the 1993-94 season, Waite played 15 games for the San Jose
Sharks, going 3-7-0. His best season came during the '92-93
campaign, when he played a career high 20 games with Chicago,
posting a 6-7-1 record and a 2.95 GAA.
Not only was Smith busy grabbing up some free agents and making
trades, but he was also taking care of some Coyotes whose contracts
were up after the season ended last year. Shane Doan, Bob Corkum
and Dallas Drake were among a group of players who the Coyotes
protected in the expansion draft and managed to get under contract
before camp started.
Michele Petit was brought back for another season as well, agreeing
to terms with the team on August 31. The 34-year-old Petit joined
the Coyotes last season, signing as a free agent on November 25,
1997. In his 16th NHL season, Petit played in 32 games with the
Coyotes, recording 4-2-6 and 77 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 205
pound Petit reached a career milestone on Dec. 5, playing in his
800th NHL game at Carolina. In addition, he appeared in five
playoff games versus Detroit, collecting 8 PIM. Petit started the
1997-98 season with the Detroit Vipers (IHL), registering 2-3-5 and
24 PIM in nine games.
Several players decided to change numbers, as well. Jim Cummins who
wore No. 20 last season, took over the number 15, which was vacated
by Craig Janney. Rick Tocchet was donning No. 92 last season, and
decided to return to his old 22 when Mike Gartner retired and left
it behind.
All of these changes should help the Coyotes get to the next level
this season, but only time will tell. In order to be successful,
they must come together as a team. The Coyotes appear to be ready
to do so.
Oh yeah, Keith Tkachuk ended his standoff with management and signed
a one-year extension with the club that should keep him in Phoenix
until the 2000-2001 season. Unless, you know, he feels he's
underpaid and decides to sit out again...
