Timmy
As per usual, we rank the top ten players at each position, except on defense where we rank the top twelve. Why twelve on defense? Because we love to give until it hurts, that's why.
After we list the top ten, or twelve, we also include a few players that fall in each of the following categories:
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Poor souls that just missed the charts.
MOVIN' ON UP: These guys are movin' on up to the East side faster than the Jeffersons. Keep an eye on 'em.
NOW I GOT WORRY: Players listed here are falling faster than Benny Hill's pants.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE?: A crossroads has been presented. To the left, a return to stardom. To the right, a direct route to Loserville.
Our rankings aren't just based on who had a great season last
year. We try to look at the whole picture. Everything is taken
into consideration, including past history, future potential,
overall skill, intelligence, leadership, big-game ability, and
penmanship. Most of the write-ups will explain why a guy got
ranked where he did. While most decisions were clear cut, there
were a few situations where we just couldn't make up our minds.
In those cases, the deciding vote went to whichever guy looked
more like an original cast member of Happy Days.
Hopefully we haven't forgotten anyone in compiling our lists. We didn't include Gary Roberts because it's still uncertain exactly how well he'll play, if at all. But if he's anywhere near his old self, Roberts would preside in the top spot on left wing and everyone else would move down a spot. Gary Roberts is just that good.
There are a whole mess of quality young players out there that could be listed in the Movin' On Up section, but we tried to limit ourselves to the best one or two guys. So don't be offended if your favorite player is missing in that category.
If you think we forgot someone all together, or you disagree with our rankings, don't be scared to write a letter. Just be sure to mail it to someone who cares. Aw, that's just a joke, settle down. We love to hear from you, our valued readers. Just try to keep profanity to a minimum. We have sensitive eyes. And it's hard enough to read the letters through the bottom of a bottle without having to sound out vulgar insults.
Well, that's about it. Enjoy. And oh yeah, we'll be back on September 15 with a Season Preview. Look for it.
--------------------------------------------------------------- LCS: Top Rated Centers --------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell 1. Eric Lindros, Philadelphia Flyers: He's not as dynamic as Joe Sakic, as sound defensively as Peter Forsberg, or as fast as Sergei Fedorov. But no other center can impact a game quite like Eric Lindros.
Big number 88 is clearly the most dominating physical force in the NHL. His mere presence can change the flow of a game. When he's on the ice the opposition not only has to fear the damage he can do on the scoreboard, but also the damage he can inflict on their bodies. Lindros is a freight train on skates. He's not much in the way of agility, but he can generate some serious velocity in a straight line. And there's nothing he likes to do more than disperse that momentum through some serious head-on collisions.
There aren't a whole lot of guys willing to take Lindros on in the hitting department. Ed Jovanovski made a good run at it in the 1995-96 playoffs, but look what it did to him. Apparently, going by Eddie Jo's performance last season, Lindros knocked all the talent out of him. Darius Kasparaitis thought about taking Lindros on during the first round of this past postseason, until Lindros railed him into the backboards early on in Game One. After that Darius had trouble thinking about anything. Colorado's Adam Foote has mixed it up with Lindros on occasion, but they don't really play each other enough for it to be a rivalry. Lindros' toughest opponent over the years as been Scott Stevens, but even the New Jersey captain seems to be merely surviving these days during their one-on-one battles.
Lindros does more than just maim. Now that Mario Lemieux has retired, Lindros' 1.47 career points-per-game average is second only to Wayne Gretzky. The catch is that he never plays that many games. Lindros is more fragile than a fishnet-clad leg lamp one would win in a trivia contest for knowing the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse. Eric appeared in 52 contests last season and has only played more than 65 games in a season once, that being in 1995-96 when he suited up for 73. But to this point in his career, injury seems to be the only thing that can slow down Lindros. Now that he's had his first taste of Stanley Cup Finals action, Lindros will be a mission man this season. Good luck trying to stop him.
2. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche: Sakic had somewhat of a disappointing season last year, with a severe calf laceration costing him what surely would have been his fifth 100- point campaign. But even if he remained healthy, it's unlikely he would have matched the career-high 51 goals he had the previous year. Joe just wasn't finding the net last season, posting a mere 22 goals in 65 games. The reason for the power outage? Probably just fatigue. Between Colorado's Stanley Cup championship and the World Cup tournament, Joe has played a ridiculous amount of hockey over the past year. This recent off- season should do wonders for him. Look for the Colorado captain to come out firing in 1997-98. After all, he's now got 17 million more reasons to score goals.
Yes, it's hard to believe, but Joe Sakic, the quiet Quebec superstar who most fans probably couldn't have picked out of a lineup before the move to Colorado, will pull down a hefty $17 million dollars for the upcoming season thanks to the cut-throat tactics of Neil Smith and the New York Rangers. And there's a reason why the Rangers wanted him. Now that Mark Messier is on the downside of his career, Sakic is clearly the best clutch player in the NHL. After rarely making a playoff appearance during his first seven years in Quebec, Sakic has emerged as the league's premier playoff scorer. The numbers don't lie. Throughout his career Sakic has averaged 1.25 points per game during the regular season and 1.37 points during the playoffs. The jump in goal scoring is even more dramatic, from a .47 regular-season standard to .65 when the Cup's up for grabs. Over the past two seasons, Sakic has bagged 26 goals and 59 points in 39 postseason contests. Those are by far the best numbers in the league.
It's Sakic's quickness that makes him so hard to contain. He may not be able to fly around the rink like Sergei Fedorov or Peter Bondra, but not many can accelerate from a dead stop or change direction at top speed like Sakic. The best word to describe him is explosive. He uses short, quick bursts of speed to either gain separation or force defenders back on their heels. If challenged, Sakic can either dart wide or beat his man clean with a one-on-one move. However, instead of forcing the issue with defenders, he would much rather prefer to cut laterally or circle back while holding the puck, thereby creating passing lanes for his teammates. Sakic loves to control the puck. He'll hold it for an eternity, allowing the defense time to break down, before surveying the scene and dishing it off to an open man. Sometimes it seems that Joe's got all the vision and the rest of the world is wearin' bifocals.
He truly is a playmaker first and a goal scorer second. Which is hard to believe, considering he owns the best wrist shot in hockey. There have been volummes of poetry written about the beauty of Sakic's wrister... okay, most have been by me, but what can I say? I have a lot of free time. Once again, it's Joe's quickness that makes the shot so deadly. He's a lot like the Sundance Kid... he shoots better when he moves. He can let it go off either foot, in mid-stride, hopping on one leg... it doesn't matter to Joe. That's why goaltenders have such a hard time getting a read on it, they can never tell when it's coming. Sakic also likes to position the defender as a screen before firing, complicating matters even more for the netminder. Watching Sakic do his thing is really something to behold. The price tag is kind of steep, but c'mon, isn't it worth it?
3. Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche: Through the course of reading the various player descriptions in this issue, you'll hear the term "complete player" a whole mess of times. There are two reasons for that. First, that should be the goal of everyone who laces up the skates, to one day be a complete player, or someone who excels at every aspect of hockey. The second reason the term is used so frequently is, well, I have a limited vocabulary.
Peter Forsberg is the most complete player in the NHL. If he was anymore complete, there'd be enough there for two great hockey players. Offensively, Forsberg has all the bases covered. Not only does he have great speed, he's so strong that it's virtually impossible to knock him off his skates or even tie him up. And his hands are simply amazing. Whether in the open or bogged down in traffic, when the puck is on his stick some top quality entertainment is sure to follow. He can literally make the puck talk, but only in a German accent... that's odd. As if mystifying defenses with elaborate stickhandling displays wasn't enough, Forsberg can also perplex and befuddle with a plethora of passing pizazz. God bless alliteration. While Forsberg has been known mainly as a setup man during his first three seasons in the league, he definitely has the ability to score some goals, his shot is strong and he's excellent around the net. The potential is there, he just has to apply himself. If all goes well, he should be a 35 to 40-goal guy this coming season.
As staggering as his skills are on offense, Forsberg is equally impressive defensively. He just has natural instincts for the defensive game. He rarely, if ever, gets caught deep on plays. Once in his own end, his coverage is superb. Forsberg is strong enough to tie up even the most physical of opponents and ride them off the puck. He's also shattered the soft-European stereotype by becoming one of the fiercest competitors in the game. Forsberg flat out loves to hit.
Add everything up, and it's easy to see why he's the most complete player in the NHL. So why the hell isn't he even the top rated center? Well, sometimes being so perfect in every way can actually be a detriment. When Forsberg isn't scoring, he just seems content to play defense without forcing the issue. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's what makes him such a great player, being able to help the team even when he isn't scoring. Unfortunately, you can't be the best player in the league if you don't make an impact in the postseason. Think back over the past two years. Whenever the Avalanche need a big goal who always seems to come through? Two words... Joe Sakic. Before Forsberg can be the best player in the game, he has to start coming through with the big play like Sakic. He's had a tendency to disappear at times during the playoffs, where his points-per-game average of 1.05 is far less than his 1.30 regular season average. Focusing on defense is nice and all, but Forsberg is capable of doing so much more. Come playoff time, he needs to dominate at both ends of the ice, not just one. Once this lone flaw gets corrected, it won't be long before ol' Petey is sitting pretty at the top of the list.
4. Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings: Hey, look whose name is on the Stanley Cup! After taking enormous grief in hockey circles for some disappointing playoff years, Fedorov silenced his critics by being one of the most important cogs in Detroit's Cup victory. Sergei led the Wings in postseason scoring with eight goals and 20 points in 20 games. Ironically, that's his lowest postseason points-per-game average in the last five years, but no one was complaining. The difference this year was that he came through with big plays in crucial situations, even tying Claude Lemieux for the playoff lead in game-winning goals with four.
The playoff success came after a somewhat disappointing regular season, in which Sergei saw his ice time cut back dramatically by coach Scotty Bowman. The legendary bench boss wanted to spread his attack out over four lines and often had Sergei centering a third unit with limited talent. If that wasn't bad enough, Bowman also used Fedorov on defense. The result was the worst offensive output of Fedorov's career, as he finished third on the team in scoring with a very mortal 30 goals and 63 points in 74 games. Fedorov wasn't real happy about his new role, but he made the best of it in order to help the team. Aw, that's just considerate. There aren't many stars in the league that would be willing to make such a sacrifice. But he swallowed his pride and took one for the team. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he handled things.
And that's what really separates Fedorov from average Joe Superstar. He can be a team's marquee scorer or he can be placed in a strict defensive role and dominate there, as well. That versatility is hard to find. The reason he's able to switch gears from offense to defense so effortlessly is his skating. Fedorov is, without doubt, the best skater in the NHL. No one can match his power, speed, and agility. Paul Kariya is a close second, but Fedorov gets the nod because of his strength. Plus, he just looks cooler in full flight. They could sell tickets just to watch Sergei skate warmups.
Fedorov's game really doesn't have any weaknesses. His one knock could be that he doesn't score as much as he should, but the nights he isn't scoring he's still doing the little things defensively that don't end up in the boxscores. He's a complete player. And he's Russian, so that's pretty cool. But between you and me, keep an eye on them Russians...
5. Mike Modano, Dallas Stars: Wow, did Mikey Mo jump start his career last season or what? His 35 goals and 83 points were pretty much the same numbers he put up the previous year, but Modano did all his improving away from the scoresheet. Being a great player isn't about putting up big scoring numbers, it's about playing great hockey. To do that you have to be strong at both ends of the ice, make smart decisions with the puck, and do whatever you can to make your team better. That pretty much described Modano's season to a tee.
Modano always had the talent to be a great one. He checks in at 6'3", 200 pounds and can skate like the wind. A tremendous one- on-one player, he's capable of flying solo on any given rush. And when it comes to shooting, few can inspire as much fear in a goaltender. The puck seems to leap from his stick. His slap shot is positively awe inspiring. Netminders don't try to stop it as much as survive it.
Yet for some reason, despite his dominating skills, Modano never really put it all together until this past season. In the old days, when Modano didn't score, he didn't do anything. He'd have a tendency to just wander around on the periphery, letting himself and his teammates down. That all changed in '96-97. Instead of disappearing when the puck wasn't going in for him, Modano became a stand-up citizen for the Stars. He never took a shift off, working tirelessly to become a complete player. He found as much pride in denying a goal as in scoring one. The work paid off for everyone involved. The Stars won the Central Division with the second-best record in the NHL and Modano earned some personal glory with his first ever Selke Trophy nomination, thanks in large part to his +43 rating, which was a dramatic reversal from the -12 he posted a year earlier.
When evaluating talent, there's an old saying among hockey coaches that sometimes guys have all the tools, but lack the toolbox to carry them in. Well, thanks to hard work and dedication, Mike Modano found his toolbox... yeah, apparently it was up in the attic under some old clothes. He also found one of them wacky moose heads. Thems keen.
6. Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs: He disappeared there for a few seasons, but the Big Swede is back. And he's back in a big way. Sundin was one of the few bright spots last season in Toronto, finishing seventh in league scoring with 41 goals and 94 points. Sundin's stride is so long and effortless that it belies his great speed. Even when defenseman are able to keep up, Sundin's size makes him more than most can handle. With his enormous wingspan, he can turn defenders inside out or simply go wide and protect the puck better than the Secret Service. His lengthy reach also translates into some mighty powerful leverage on his wrist shot. The result is an absolute bomb that can overpower goaltenders from anywhere on the ice.
And while he may not initiate contact as much as he should, Sundin does have a bit of a mean streak. When things get rough he won't rabbit. Although, because of his great size and spectacular finesse skills, some might say that he's a rabbit disguised as a bear. I'm not sure who would say something like that, but it could be said. Like, maybe a zoo warden could say it. Because a zoo warden would have experience being around bears and rabbits, so he'd probably punch up his normal, every- day dialogue with such obscure animal references. That is if rabbits are even in zoos. If they aren't, they sure as hell should be. Those long-eared, pink-eyed, carrot-munching weasels have had it easy with those cushy medical research gigs all these years. It's about time they bust some rocks in the big house. Damn rabbits.
7. Mark Messier, Vancouver Canucks: This whole move to Vancouver is kind of disheartening. It's just not right that the man responsible for ending New York's 54-year Stanley Cup curse in no longer calling Madison Square Garden home. For a guy who is supposed to be the best leader in sports, Messier sure didn't waste any time in turning his back on his Ranger teammates. Whatever the reason for his departure, whether it was strictly money or a desire to finish his career back in Canada, Messier now finds himself on a club that is in desperate need of guidance. His leadership qualities will get put to the test by the often directionless Canucks.
Aside from a winning attitude and veteran leadership, Messier will also bring one of the best wrist shots in hockey to Vancouver. In the whole realm of the NHL, there may not be anything cooler than seeing Messier come in on right wing and wire one of his patented, one-footed wristers on net. As soon as he lifts that right leg off the ice, the goaltender's beat. Messier has used that wrist shot, among other things, to score 83 goals over the past two seasons. That's some amazing output for a 36-year-old center, so he can obviously still get the job done. The main concern now is his health. He missed 11 games last year with a variety of ailments and has shown signs of wearing down towards the end of the last couple seasons. A red flag may have gone up with Ranger brass this past Spring when Messier had just three goals and 12 points in 15 playoff games. Is he slowing down? Sure. Is he done? Don't bet on it.
8. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings: It was definitely worth the wait. For any longtime hockey fan, there wasn't a better sight in the world than seeing Stevie Y lift the Stanley Cup. After 13 years of struggle, Yzerman finally reached the top of the hockey mountain and there's never been a more deserving soul. The journey wasn't without its sacrifices. Always known as a brilliant individual scorer, Yzerman voluntarily changed his game over the past three seasons in order to become a better two-way player. The transition cost him points and headlines, but it made the Red Wings a better team. There aren't many superstars that would make such an unselfish move, but Yzerman is somethin' special.
There's no denying that Yzerman has lost a step or two from his younger days. He can no longer just grab the puck and go end-to- end at will. But what he's lost in flash, he's made up for in smarts and shift-to-shift consistency. Yzerman also elevates his play when the game's on the line. Whenever the Wings needed a clutch goal during their Cup drive, it was number 19 that scored it. He personifies everything a captain should be. But what else would you expect from the guy that bleeds Detroit red? Wait a minute... that really doesn't make any sense. I mean, hell, everyone bleeds Detroit red. See if he was, like, in New York, and I said he bled Ranger blue, that would mean somethin' there... probably that he had some sort of vitamin deficiency, but it would still mean something.
9. Wayne Gretzky, New York Rangers: Gretzky made a swell Broadway debut, collecting 25 goals and 97 points in his first year as a Blueshirt. Those numbers are a bit misleading, though, with most of them coming in the first half of the season. Gretzky went buckwild early, collecting 16 goals and 62 points before the All-Star Break. However, as the season went on, Gretzky's production fell off. He even suffered through a brutal 20-game goal-less streak. But Wayne was just pacin' himself. When the playoffs started he cranked it back up and led the Rangers with 10 goals and 20 points in 15 games, boasting two hat tricks along the way.
Even at 36, Gretzky hasn't lost any of his playmaking craftiness. He made a couple passes off the side of the net last season that were somethin' to see. He can still bring the heat with his slapper, but that's the only way he'll score. His wrist shot is softer than Pop 'N' Fresh's midsection. He's also a defensive liability whenever matched up with the opposing team's best. That can be a problem.
Gretzky proved he could still be an impact player, but things are going to be a whole lot tougher this season without Mark Messier around to draw attention from the opposition. The Rangers will undoubtedly try to fill the void left by Messier with some sort of signing or trade. Or they could fill the void with pie. Lots and lots of pie. But this is clearly Gretzky's team now. Pressure's on.
10. Ron Francis, Pittsburgh Penguins: We have the utmost respect for Francis. He's the very definition of the word "professional". He shows up every night and does his job, never complains, and always puts the team first. He's just a great person and a tremendous role model for young players to emulate. That point wasn't lost on Jaromir Jagr, who credits Francis with helping him develop into the player he is today.
Francis is invaluable to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the leadership he brings on and off the ice. But he can still put up some serious numbers. Last season he had 27 goals and 90 points in 81 games. That was good for ninth overall in the league. Not bad for a 34-year-old veteran who seldom gets the respect he deserves. True, Francis may have lost a step, but he didn't exactly depend on a full staircase to begin with. His game is based on intelligence and moving the puck, and that sort of thing just gets better with experience. Age has brought some health concerns, though, as Francis has battled a bad back the last few years. But since he plays through everything, you'll never know he's hurting unless you really pay attention... sort of like John Wayne in "El Dorado".
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Adam Oates, Washington Capitals: Oates usually always ends up in the "Honorable Mentions" section. All he had to do to make it this year was get the Capitals into the playoffs. That would have seemed like a safe bet. After all, Oates had racked up 18 goals and 70 points in 63 games with the lowly Bruins before the trade. Yet after arriving in Washington, Oates came through with only four goals and 12 points in 17 games, "leading" the Caps to a 7-8-2 record and a ninth place finish in the Conference. That'll suck. The good news is that Oates signed a three-year deal over the off-season and will be back in the fold for '97-98. And mark it down now, the Caps will be a juggernaut this season.
Doug Weight, Edmonton Oilers: No doubt, Weight is one of the best playmakers in the NHL. He could set up a bag of potatoes for a goal... mmmm, potatoes. But before Weight ever cracks our top ten, he's going to have to pick up the goal production. His career high is 25, set in 1995-96, and he had a mere 21 last season to go along with 61 assists in 80 games. Weight just isn't a shooter. He finished third on the Oilers with 235 shots. While a modest total, it broke his previous career high by a 31. Weight would much rather set up a teammate than score himself. That's quite the admirable trait. But if he's only gonna score 20, then he's gonna have to set up 80. He might have been able to hit the 80-assist plateau last year if it wasn't for a slow start that saw him register only 28 helpers in his first 46 contests. He finished strong, though, with 33 in his final 34 games. That's the kind of production the Oilers need out of Weight for a whole season.
Rod Brind'Amour, Philadelphia Flyers: How good was Brind'Amour during the playoffs? If the Flyers win the Cup, Brind'Amour gets his name on the Conn Smythe. He was Mr. Everything for the Flyers. So how does he get rewarded? By having his name mentioned in trade rumors all summer long, of course. It's not that the Flyers want to get rid of him, it's just that every other team in the league wants him. Brind'Amour is the ideal second line center. His numbers were way down last season (27-32-59), but he's normally a point-per-game guy that is responsible defensively and almost unbeatable on faceoffs. He's also as durable as the day is long, having played in every game the past four seasons. He rarely gets the headlines, but Brind'Amour is as good as they come. If the rumors of him being moved to Carolina for Sean Burke are true, the Flyers won't realize what they had until it's gone.
MOVIN' ON UP
Saku Koivu, Montreal Canadiens: The li'l Finn exploded out of the gates last season with Montreal, anchoring at the time the league's most prolific scoring line with Mark Recchi and Brian Savage. But just when it seemed Saku was ready to take his place among the league's elite, he suffered a knee injury in a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks on December 7. The injury derailed his season and left the Habs a broken team. Even when Saku returned, he wasn't quite the electrifying player he was before the injury. Look for him to bounce back strong this season. He has all the tools to be one of the game's most exciting players. He's extremely quick on his skates, creative with the puck, and his name is just fun to say.... c'mon, say it with us... Saku Koivu, Saku Koivu, Saku Koivu.
At only 5'9", 175 pounds, Koivu is too small to be Montreal's number one center if the club hopes to compete for a championship anytime soon, but he's still damn cool. That's good enough for us... it's not like we're the ones trying to build a championship team in Montreal. Because if we were, we certainly never would have traded Pierre Turgeon for Shayne Corson. What was that about? Friends don't let friends drink and general manage.
Keith Primeau, Carolina Hurricanes: The trade to Hartford was the best thing for Primeau's career. It was obvious he wasn't going to be allowed to develop at center in Detroit, so getting the chance to swim with the Whale was just what the doctor ordered. At 26, now's the time for Primeau to make his move and become a dominant center.
He's already one of the most feared physical players in the game. The 6'5", 220-pounder doesn't just hit guys, he destroys them. Arenas all over the NHL have to be checked for structural damage once Primeau leaves town. He can also throw with the best of them. He had eight fights last season, but his most famous tussle was probably a few years back when he took it to Bob Probert during a Detroit practice.
Primeau can do so much more than just bust heads. Considering his size, he's an unbelievable skater. Once he gets rolling he can really motor. And he also has the hands to bust out the moves at full speed. People never think of him as a finesse player, but Primeau can score some goals that are pimp smooth. The only problem with him playing the middle is that he isn't really a great playmaker. He's not terrible at moving the puck, but it's not his strong suit. He's at his best when he barges it to the net himself.
With his talent and size, Primeau could be a 40-goal, 80-point guy. His big problem has always been consistency. One night he'll look like a world beater and the next time out he'll hardly get noticed. He never really had a chance to find his niche with the Wings since he was always being moved around so much, but he has a definite role as the Hurricane's top center. Now that he's had time to adjust to his expanded role, look for a major improvement on the 26 goals and 51 points he had last season.
Chris Gratton, Philadelphia Flyers: Bobby Clarke knows a good thing when he sees it. The Flyer GM wasn't about to let the 22-year-old, 6'4", 218-pound Gratton slip through the free agent market without making a serious run at him. Now Gratton brings even more size and strength to what was already the biggest team in the NHL.
Last year was clearly a breakthrough season for the young center, as he established career highs in goals (30), assists (32), points (62), and penalty minutes (201). He was one of only two players (Keith Tkachuk) to lead his team in both points and penalty minutes. Gratton has a heavy shot and loves to play an aggressive, physical game. He's also proven to be extremely durable, missing just two games in his four-year career. He should be a perfect fit for the Flyers. Imagine a power-play front line of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Gratton? That's some scary stuff. The one downside to Gratton at this point is his defensive play. He was a -28 for the Lightning Bolts last season. If he wants to get better in that area he'll have one of the best role models possible as a teammate next season in the form of Joel Otto.
Jozef Stumpel, L.A. Kings: Hey, I wonder if the Bruins could pick up my pants the next time the Kings take them to the cleaners? Kings GM Dave Taylor swiped the up-and-coming Stumpel, along with Sandy Moger, from Boston for Dimitri Khristich and Byron Dafoe. It's nice to see the Bruin brass is still wacky on the junk. That whole just-say-no thing was really getting kind of preachy.
This trade will pay huge dividends for the Kings. Stumpel, 25, is just now starting to find his stride in the NHL. He had a career year with the lowly Bruins last season, setting new personal bests in goals (21), assists (55), and points (76). Stumpel is by no means a physical player, but he does have great size (6'3", 208). He's also extremely skilled. He can pull off stickhandling moves that most players can only dream about. I once saw him do a toe-drag through his own legs in full flight to beat a guy one-on-one. Aw, that's just fancy. Keep an eye on Stumpel, he's one to watch. You might want to keep watching the Bruins, too. They'll be the team in last place with all the mediocre players. Well, except for Anson Carter and Landon Wilson... those are two cool cats, dad.
NOW I GOT WORRY
Pat LaFontaine, Buffalo Sabres: Laffy's future is still very much up in the air thanks to his ongoing battle with post-concussion syndrome. He's one of our all-time favorites, so we hope to see him back out there terrorizing defenses. But even if he doesn't come back, we'll always have the memories... and his wallet. We lifted it the last time he was in town. Hey, we have to get money somehow.
Doug Gilmour, New Jersey Devils: Gilmour rebounded from two rather subpar seasons to post 82 points in 81 games for the Leafs and Devils. Unfortunately, his personal renaissance hit a snag in the playoffs. Gilmour all but crippled New Jersey's bid for a second championship by failing to score a goal and registering just four assists in 10 playoff games. Over his last three postseason appearance, Gilmour has just one goal in 23 games. At 34, the idea that Gilmour is still strong enough to lead a team to the Stanley Cup is somewhat questionable.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE?
Jeremy Roenick, Phoenix Coyotes: Ah, remember the good ol' days when Jeremy Roenick would talk about himself in the third person, draw eyes on his blade, and just be one of the most dominating offensive forces in the game? Or how about the time him and Tony Amonte dressed up as Batman and Robin for Halloween? Aw, that was great, that was fun.
But Roenick hasn't been having much fun lately. A series of knee injuries have clearly taken their toll on JR. His scoring has dropped off dramatically, with his points-per-game average declining in each of the past three years. He was starting to play like his old self late last season and did some wonderful work shadowing Paul Kariya in the playoffs, but yet another knee injury ended his postseason early. The good news is that the injury did not require surgery and Roenick should be ready to go when training camp opens. And he'll need to be at full strength if he hopes to regain his former superstar status. One more uninspired season like he had last year and it could be a one-way ticket to Palookaville.
Jason Arnott, Edmonton Oilers: For awhile there it seemed like Arnott was going to be Edmonton's next Mark Messier. He was a big, strapping lad that scored goals and carried his heart on his sleeve. Which while inspirational, can't be at all sanitary. Yet instead of developing into one of the best young centers in the game, Arnott has seemed to hit a wall. His overall game hasn't really progressed much and injuries have kept him out of 33 games the past two seasons, rendering him unable to match the 33 goals and 68 points he put up in his rookie year of 1993-94. His 19 goals and 57 points in 67 games last season were far below what a player of his caliber should be producing in his fourth season. To make matters worse, he also finished at an embarrassing -21. Now there's even talk in Edmonton that the 23-year-old might get dealt. Arnott definitely needs a strong season to turn his career back in the right direction. And there's no time like the present.
----------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Top Rated Left Wings ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell 1. John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers: We are proud converts to the church of LeClair. The conversion started at the World Cup, where the mammoth Flyer winger was a one-man wrecking crew for Team USA. After doing the stars and stripes proud, LeClair returned to Philly and started busting heads. Eric Lindros was still out with a strained groin, but it didn't matter much to LeClair. He just went about his business of scoring goals and finishing checks. The end result was a second straight 50-goal season. The combination of the early season success and the memorable World Cup proved once and for all that LeClair is a great player even when number 88 isn't around.
Which brings up an interesting question. Who's better: John LeClair or Eric Lindros? Some might scoff at such a comparison, but the idea that LeClair is the superior player is not at all far-fetched. He actually stacks up quite favorably to his more famous center. Both guys own overpowering, almost scary, shots. A goaltender that gets in the way of either guy's slap better have his estate in order. Granted, Lindros is the better passer, but LeClair actually has better hands around the net. The skating department is all LeClair. Most people don't realize just how fast he is. He can also change direction better than anyone else his size. Both LeClair and Lindros are solid defensively, but LeClair is the more consistent in his defensive effort. That league-leading +44 was no accident.
Where Lindros has it all over LeClair is in aggressiveness. It's not that LeClair won't run a guy through the boards, because he will... oh, he will, it's just that he's too nice a guy. Lindros is flat out mean. This shows up it their penalty minute totals, where LeClair mustered just 58 in 82 games while Lindros compiled 136 in only 52 contests. However, that info leads us to another important point. LeClair is much more durable. Over the past two seasons, Lindros has missed 39 games due to injury. Meanwhile, LeClair has gone 82 strong both times out.
Choosing between the two stars is extremely difficult. Lindros will get more points, since he's the better playmaker, and his fiery temper also makes him more of an impact player, since he can take over a game with his physical beatings. But on the other hand, LeClair is going to be there every night working like a champ at both ends of the ice. Aw, they're both pretty good.
Even though LeClair is tight with Lindros, he didn't run away with the top spot among left wingers. He received some fierce competition from Paul Kariya. But LeClair won the honor of being placed number one on the strength of one argument. If the two guys go into the corner together, LeClair's comin' out with the puck and Kariya's getting a seat in the third row. For all of Kariya's amazing talents, LeClair could still squash him like a bug. Case closed.
2. Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: This kid's got all the skills. He could very well be the most exciting player in the game today. Kariya's skating is so explosive that he can break into the open at any moment and score one for the highlight reel. He's a superb playmaker, a brilliant stickhandler, and a natural goal scorer. Hmm ha, can't ask for much more than that.
There are two areas of concern when discussing Kariya. The first is obviously his size. The mighty Duckling is listed at 5-11, 175, but that's a bit generous. Whenever he takes the ice it's hard not to fear for his life. Luckily, Kariya is such an incredible skater that few players can even keep up with him let alone rub him out. While similar in size, Kariya will never be confused with good ol' Theo Fleury. The only checks Kariya likes are the kind he cashes on the first of the month. And forget about him stirring things up physically. He had just six penalty minutes last season. Staying out of the box is good and all, but six minutes? It might be time to check for a pulse.
Kariya also needs to step it up a bit more defensively. He finished last season at a +36, so it's kind of hard to complain, but that number is a little misleading. Anytime a dominant scorer plays for a defensive club like the Ducks, his +/- is going to be up there. Kariya did, however, improve his defensive play a great deal from the previous season. That's always nice to see. Great players recognize their weaknesses and improve them. So Kariya's on the right track. He just needs to keep workin' at it.
3. Keith Tkachuk, Phoenix Coyotes: The first year in Phoenix was a rousing success for Tkachuk. He got his captaincy back, he led the league in goals with 52, and he got to wear some of the wackiest duds since the road company production of "The Wiz".
The 52 goals were a career high and marked his second straight 50-goal season, having hit the half-century mark exactly the previous year. While the goals were up, Tkachuk's 86 points were a 12-point drop off, but that old tune was heard all over the league. The important thing to remember is that he did score more goals than anyone else. Although, to be honest, his total was padded a bit by a league-leading eight empty-net goals. Al Iafrate once said, "Empty-net goals are for sissies." That may or may not be true, but just remember one thing... Trix are indeed for kids. Anyway, Tkachuk's scoring carried over into the playoffs where he notched six goals in seven games. That's some nice work. It wasn't enough to clip the Ducks, but he did his part.
At 6'2, 210 pounds, Tkachuk is the prototypical power forward. He plays a bruising, physical game and doesn't back down from any challengers. He was one of only two NHLers to lead his team in both scoring and penalty minutes, compiling a substantial 228 minutes in the box. Tkachuk can change the flow of a game with his aggressive play. He proved it at the World Cup when he beat the hell out of Claude Lemieux in the opening minutes of a preliminary round matchup with Team Canada. The fight got him the gate, but he sent a message to the favored Canadians that the younger American squad wasn't about to be intimidated. Without that fight, and what it represented, it's hard to believe the US would have won the tournament. Only a great player would be capable of seizing the moment and performing such a heroic action. That fight is when Tkachuk became a great player.
But Tkachuk has plenty of flash to go with his bash. Just when defenses prepare to get run over or beaten to a pulp, Tkachuk switches gears and waltzes around them with his speed and stickhandling. He has the best hands of any of the league's big men and can put on the ritz while in full flight. His soft touch also shines through in front of the net, where he's the absolute best at picking shots out of the air. There's just nothing the guy can't do.
4. Brendan Shanahan, Detroit Red Wings: Shan the Man was number one on our list last season. He definitely put up the numbers to defend his crown, scoring 47 goals and 88 points. If that wasn't enough, he even went out and helped lead the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup in 42 years, coming through with nine goals and 17 points in 20 postseason outings.
Hmm, that all seems pretty good. Then why isn't Shanny back at the top? Let's see... what could it be? Oh, I don't know... was it his personality? Nope, Shanny was still his old affable self. Did he turn yella? Not at all, he had six fights and 131 minutes. Wait a second, I remember now... Shanny fell to the four spot because HE TURNED WEASEL AND STABBED THE WHALE IN THE BACK LIKE A TWO-BIT PUNK!
The Whale were looking for a leader, someone to rally the city behind the team and keep the mighty sea mammals swimming in Hartford. All eyes turned to Shanahan. He was the charismatic star the club had so desperately needed. He was their last hope. But apparently the "C" on his sweater stood for "cop out". Instead of trying to make a difference, Shanahan jumped ship and demanded a trade. He ended up in Detroit carrying the Stanley Cup and the Whale ended up in Carolina. That's just not right.
The Whale were looking for help and Shanahan responded by plunging a harpoon right in their blow hole. Et tu, Shanny? He might as well have stabbed us in the heart, as well. There just aren't many heroes left out there. Well, there's Shaft... but that should really go without saying.
5. Adam Graves, New York Rangers: Graves bounced back from a 22-goal disappointment in 1995-96 to post 33 this past season, cracking the 30-goal mark for the third time in his career. Among his red lights were ten power-play tallies, four short-handers, three game-winners, and a league-leading five game-tying goals. As those numbers clearly show, Graves excels in any and all game situations. He has the tenacity of a bulldog when it comes to working the front of the net on the power play. No one does it better. And while he lacks the speed of most premier penalty killers, his intelligence and hockey sense always has him in the right place to bust up opposing man-advantages.
Graves gets most of his goals from within ten feet of the net. He's all about rebounds and deflections. But that doesn't mean he can't score from the outside. After all, you can't score 52 goals, as Graves did in 1993-94, by just collecting garbage. His slap is heavy, but his main weapon is a quick, accurate wrister.
While the goals are nice, they're really just icing on the cake. Or, if you prefer pie, the icing on the pie. Graves could go pointless for the entire season and still be an all-star for the work he does without the puck. He always thinks defense first. He probably saves as many as he scores. Which brings up the obvious question of how come Graves is never mentioned in Selke talk? He really should be, ya know. And if they gave out an award for the best pound-for-pound hitter in the league, Graves should win that one, too. His checks are solid, clean, and more bountiful than the Fall Harvest. When hits alone aren't enough to settle down the opposition, Graves will drop the gloves and learn 'em old school.
Graves is a natural leader that always puts the team ahead of himself. If someone has a problem with one of the Rangers, they also have a problem with Graves. And it's not a good idea to get on his bad side. He's just the ultimate team player. Whether it's standing up for his mates or moving to center to anchor a checking line, Graves will do whatever it takes. And he never takes a night off, both literally and figuratively. Graves played in all 82 last season and has only missed one game in the past five years. That's incredible considering that most nights he's playing with a bad back. But what else would you expect form Graves? He isn't going to let the team down. Adam Graves is just everything a hockey player should be.
6. Valeri Kamensky, Colorado Avalanche: There's an old hockey axiom that states "No one asks how you score them, just how many." Well, an exception has to be made for Valeri Kamensky. He may never get 50 or 60 in a season, but one Kamensky goal should be worth four or five from an average player. Every Kamensky goal is a work of art. A masterpiece for the senses, created with care by perhaps the most skilled hockey player on the planet.
He has so much talent that it's almost unfair. He's an excellent passer that moves the puck extremely well, but it's the aspects of his individual game that are so magnetic. He's a threat to go the distance every time he touches the puck. His skating is as swift as it is effortless. Combine that with his wizard stickhandling and Kamensky can weave through the tightest of defenses with the greatest of ease. Once into the open, he can unleash one of the most lethal slap shots in the game or simply pick a goaltender apart with an accurate wrister. And good luck to any netminder left one-on-one with the lanky Russian magician. He'll turn 'im inside out faster than a bottle of malt liquor disappears around the offices of LCS: Guide to Hockey.
Kamensky has the ability to dominate games, but he really doesn't do it as much as he should. Sometimes it seems he's willing to just stand in the wings and allow Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg to grab the spotlight. A more dominant showing each time out would move him up in the rankings. As it is, he's still a one-of-a- kind offensive talent and a proud member of the best line in hockey. So that's pretty cool.
7. Adam Deadmarsh, Colorado Avalanche: Valeri Kamensky isn't the only standout left winger on the Colorado Avalanche. Adam Deadmarsh is quickly movin' up the charts thanks to his blazing speed and fierce intensity. Deadmarsh, 22, enjoyed a breakthrough season in 1996-97. With Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg each missing extended periods of time due to injury, Deadmarsh stepped up and became the go-to guy for the Avalanche. He ended the year leading the team with a career high 33 goals. See, right there, that would be enough, but Deadmarsh also led the club in the emotion department. He plays an extremely fast-paced, aggressive style, taking the body on every occasion and always getting mixed up in the rough stuff. He was second on the club with 136 penalty minutes, even boasting a healthy 12 fighting majors. Aw, that's just good clean fun.
Deadmarsh has the potential to be a major player on the left wing scene. He's definitely on his way to superstardom. Unfortunately, his performance during this past postseason was, shall we say, weak? Shall we say embarrassing? We shall say embarrassing. Deadmarsh had just three goals and nine points in 17 playoff games. As sad as those numbers are, they could have been overlooked if he was his usual physical presence. But sadly, Deadmarsh picked the absolute worst time of his career to show his youthful inexperience. The kid was just flat out invisible against Detroit. His team needed him for a spark and he was AWOL. That just doesn't cut it when you're trying to repeat as champs. The good news is that Deadmarsh should have ample opportunity to redeem himself this season. Here's hoping he does.
8. Vincent Damphousse, Montreal Canadiens: Damphousse played center last year for the Habs, but left wing is so shallow these days in the NHL that Vinny got drafted to fill out the ranks. The fact that the former port-sider could make such an effortless transition to the middle says a lot for Damphousse's overall game. He's most well known for being a sniper, but Damphousse is quite the competent playmaker. He's had at least 51 assists in each of the past five full seasons. He skates all knobby-kneed, but has decent speed once he gets rollin'. Damphousse is one of those guys that can't be a club's marquee player, but he can fill out a team's top line all swell like. That's why he really belongs on left wing. He's more of a complimentary player than a focal point.
9. Geoff Sanderson, Carolina Hurricanes: For a while there it seemed as if 1996-97 was going to be the year Sanderson broke through to the big time. The Whale started the season off in first place in the Northeast Division and Sanderson was one of the main reasons why. In his first 44 games, Sanderson racked up 24 goals and 44 points. That's some quality stuff. But the second half of the season hit Sanderson and the Whale harder than a drunken sailor's rusty harpoon. As the Whale beached themselves and ended up out of the playoff hunt, Sanderson could produce no more than 12 goals and 23 points over his final 38 games. Hard to get happy after that one. There are a number of reasons for the collapse, what with the team leaving town and all, but if Sanderson were a great player he wouldn't have allowed his team to fold.
Sanderson has all the tools to be a dominant performer. He has one of the most powerful skating strides in the game. When he hits full speed he's solid gone. And no one can score from the wall like Sanderson. When he's truckin', his slap shot is almost unstoppable. He's a 50-goal scorer waiting to happen. Unfortunately, he's been waiting for some time now. Sanderson appeared destined for superstardom when he bagged 46 goals in 1992-93, just his second season in the league. He followed that up in 1993-94 with another solid 41-goal outing, but it's been downhill ever since. He put up a measly 18 goals in the lockout- shortened 1994-95 season, 34 in 1995-96, and then 36 this past year. The only way Sanderson is going to reach 50 is through hard work, dedication, and desire. The potential is definitely there, whether or not he'll ever reach such lofty heights is entirely up to him.
10. Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers: Normally we don't pay attention to one-year wonders. We like to see a guy put up the numbers for at least two seasons before we include them in the rankings. But the left side is in some serious need of fresh blood. And it's kind of tough to overlook the year Smyth had with the Oilers. The 21-year-old, second-year winger exploded for 39 goals and 61 points, a dramatic improvement over the two goals and 11 points he put up during his 48-game rookie campaign. Smyth also tied Brendan Shanahan for the league lead with 20 power-play goals. It's impressive for a youngster to assert himself on the man-advantage like that. The most encouraging thing about Smyth's season, though, was his work during the playoffs, where he finished second on the club in scoring with five goals and 10 points in 12 games.
HONORABLE MENTION
Niklas Sundstrom, New York Rangers: It's tough to find a 22-year-old player that's even serviceable defensively, let alone one that truly enjoys playing it. Yet that's exactly what the New York Rangers were lucky enough to find in the form of Niklas Sundstrom. The second-year Swedish winger has already earned a spot on the NHL's short list of great defensive players. He has a tremendous intelligence for the game and naturally thinks defense first. That's pretty much a coach's dream. Sundstrom also has enough offensive skills to become a serious two-way threat in the future, as demonstrated by the 24 goals and 52 points he bagged last season for the Blueshirts.
Don't look now, but Sweden just continues to crank out some of the most complete hockey players in the world. Sundstrom is a proud member of the Great Swedish Invasion that also includes such standouts as Peter Forsberg and Daniel Alfredsson. Not only can these guys all play hockey, word is they also make some real wizard modular furniture.
MOVIN' ON UP
Martin Gelinas, Vancouver Canucks: After years of disappointment, Gelinas is finally starting to deliver on the potential that made him a first-round Draft pick (7th overall) of the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Before Gelinas ever had a chance to debut with the Kings, he was shipped off to Edmonton in a trade for some guy named Gretzky. He spent a little over four seasons with the Oilers and was a member of the "Kid Line", along with Adam Graves and Joe Murphy, when the Oil won the Stanley Cup in 1990. But overall he was a major bust. After a brief stint with the Nordiques, Gelinas was claimed off waivers by Vancouver in January of '94. Canuck GM Pat Quinn has been wearing a smile ever since.
In 1995-96, Gelinas recorded 30 goals and 56 points, both career highs at the time. He followed that up this past season by leading the Canucks in goals (35) and finishing second on the club in points (68), doing his best to make up for the disappointments of Pavel Bure's lackluster return and Trevor Linden's knee injury. While the numbers are impressive, Gelinas brings more to a game then just stats. Speed is a major part of his game. And he doesn't just zip around making pretty designs in the ice. Gelinas loves to hit. He plays a physical, gritty game, while also having the hands of a skilled player. That's a nice combination. The only reason it wasn't nice enough to crack the top ten is that those years of underachieving are hard to forget. It's also easier to put up the points when you're not the marquee player. Gelinas might have been catching a few teams by surprise. He won't this season. Another strong year and he'll make the charts.
NOW I GOT WORRY
Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings: Somebody needs to hook Luc up with a four-leaf clover or somethin', because he ain't lookin' so lucky these days. Robitaille could muster just 24 goals and 48 points in 69 games last season, this while playing on a team with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Brian Leetch. How does that happen? Well, Luc's got worry. He scored no fewer than 44 goals his first eight seasons in the league, averaging a mighty .61 goals per game. It's been a much different story the past three seasons. Over that time Luc's clicked at just .36 goals per game. Hmm ha. Times they are a changin'. Maybe the move back to L.A. will help. It certainly can't hurt.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE?
Martin Rucinsky, Montreal Canadiens: It's not that Rucinsky had a terrible season last year. He did score 28 goals and 55 points in 70 games. That's not bad. But it's not that good, either. When he arrived in Montreal from Colorado last season Rucinsky appeared ready for superstardom, finishing the season strong with 25 goals and 60 points in 56 games. Now see, that's some good stuff... being a over a point a game and all. But this past season Rucinsky was more like the third-liner he was with the Avalanche and Nordiques and not the main attraction he appeared to be his first year with the Habs. His work this coming season will define his true place on the NHL's evolutionary ladder.
Kevin Stevens, New York Rangers: Artie, as he's known in LCS circles, could enjoy a rebirth with the Rangers this coming season. If playing with Wayne Gretzky can't resurrect his scoring touch, nothing will.
----------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Top Rated Right Wings ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell 1. Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins: Not only is Jagr the best right winger in the game, he's also the best player. Period.
The Czech Wonder Kid finished last season with 47 goals and 95 points in 63 games. Those are amazing numbers, but they would have been even more unbelievable if it weren't for a chronic groin injury that reduced Jagr to a one-legged skater after the All-Star break. Before the injury hit, Jagr had bagged 41 goals in his first 44 games. This in a year when Keith Tkachuk led the league with a rather paltry 52 goals. If Jagr doesn't get hurt, a 70-goal season was a distinct possibility.
Some who didn't get to see many Penguin games last season will try and write off Jagr's success as a result of playing on the same line with Mario Lemieux. Well, don't believe the hype. Lemieux was a shell of his old self last year. It was Jagr that was carrying him, not the other way around.
When healthy, Jagr is virtually unstoppable. Not only is he the strongest skater in the game, he's also the best stickhandler. Once he gets command of the puck, forget about it. All defensemen can do is hold on and hope for the best. Jagr's game has also matured to the point that he doesn't try and beat the whole team every time he touches the rock. He'll still go buckwild on occasion, but Jaromir knows how to use his linemates now and isn't scared to give up the puck. His tremendous hands always gave him the potential to be a great passer. Thanks to some hard work and dedication, he's become one.
Speaking of hard work, Jagr's put in a ton of it to improve his shot. When he first broke into the league he'd seldom shoot, preferring instead to carry the puck the whole way and score with a nifty deke. Now, thanks to years of extra practice with assistant coach Rick Kehoe, Jagr has one of the hardest wrist shots in the league. He can beat goalies clean from the top of the circles with it. And his wrist shot needs to be a cannon because he's all but allergic to slap shots. Jagr's probably taken five in his whole NHL career.
Defensively, Jagr is much better than most people think. He doesn't have the natural defensive instincts of a guy like Peter Forsberg, but Jagr is sound in his own end and can crank it up defensively when needed. The only real knock on Jagr's game is that he isn't a physical player. That doesn't mean he shies away from contact. This guy lives in traffic and is the best board man in the game. It's just he's not going to punish the opposition with checks or initiate a physical confrontation. While some might hold this against him, and he could stand some improvement in this area, it's really just not his game. Jagr prefers to quietly go about his business of being the best offensive player in the world. When someone else can do the things that Jagr can do with the puck and play a bruising physical game on top of it, then there's some real cause for concern. But for now he should just be enjoyed for what he is: the greatest offensive talent in the NHL.
2. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: With each passing game it gets harder and harder to imagine that the Jets traded Selanne. Oleg Tverdovsky is a swell kid and all, but we're talkin' about the Finnish Flash! You just don't trade the Finnish Flash.
Teemu's arrival in Anaheim immediately turned the Ducks into a playoff contender. He's got the full arsenal of offensive skills. Whether it's skating, shooting, stickhandling, or passing, Selanne is among the league's elite. But he's not just all flash. He doesn't pack it in when things get rough. He loves to hit. The guy's a complete player.
Which brings up one of hockey's more interesting "who's better" discussions. There are three big ones floating around at the moment. They involve Colorado teammates Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, Philly's Eric Lindros and John LeClair, and Selanne and his good buddy Paul Kariya. So which Duck is the mightiest? Well, Kariya is the slightly more explosive scorer, but Selanne is the more complete player. Everyone hyped up Kariya last year because the Ducks got off to such a horrible start without him, but if it was Selanne who was out of the lineup and Kariya who was healthy the results wouldn't have been any different. It takes both superstars together to power the club. Kariya may get more headlines, but don't for one second let that overshadow Selanne.
3. Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals: Bondra continues to rise in our rankings. There's just no stopping the Slovakian speedster. He played through some nagging injuries last season to put up 46 goals in 77 games. That's down a bit from the 52 he bagged in 67 games the previous year, but scoring was just a rumor last season in the pathetically mediocre NHL, so those numbers are still mighty impressive.
Bondra is just a pleasure to watch play. If you like speed, Bondra's got it. He's explosive even from a dead stop. Defensemen just don't know how to handle him. If they lay back Petey can cut loose with a 100mph slap shot and score from the line. If they step up, Bondra's got the skills to just waltz right around them. And once he gets a step it's all over. His speed is so overwhelming that even forcing him wide is almost sure suicide. And once he gets in on the goaltender you can put it on the board. No one is more lethal than Bondra on a breakaway. He comes with so much speed and his shot is so quick, that netminders just don't have a chance. All this adds up to a guy that's pretty much 50 goals in the bank. If he plays full time with Adam Oates, even 70 goals isn't out of the question.
When he's not scoring, Bondra still contributes. He's excellent defensively and is Washington's top penalty killer. It's also worth noting that he has a bit of a mean streak. He's not above throwin' a cheap shot to send a message. Bondra's tricky like that.
4. Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues: The guy's a living legend. There are a lot of young snipers in the league, but Hull is still the fastest gun in the West. At 33, Hull is starting to get up there, but he's actually a better all around player now than he was a few years ago. He's much more sound defensively, even killing penalties and leading the hit parade on occasion. Now that the Mike Keenan era is over in St. Louis, Hull could be set for another goal bonanza. Pierre Turgeon isn't the setup man that Adam Oates was, but he's a whole lot better than what Hull has been playing with since Oates' departure. The duo had their moments late last season and should find their stride much more quickly the second time around. Even if they don't, Hull is still capable of the individual effort. He scored a goal in the first round last season against Detroit that brought a tear to the eye.
5. Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks: Talk about a star on the rise. In the past Amonte was usually written off as a one-dimensional, 30-goal role player. That's one of the reasons why Chicago's future looked so bleak when Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nicholls, and Joe Murphy jumped ship before the 1996-97 season. Chris Chelios was still around to provide guidance from the blue line, but the team was in desperate need of a leader up front. Amonte came through like a champ.
With all eyes on him, Amonte tore through the league to the tune of 41 goals and 77 points, even capturing LCS MVP Honors along the way. Like most of the premier right wingers, Amonte's game is all about speed. He has tremendous acceleration and can leave even the most fleet-footed defenders in his wake. Once he gets into the open he can score with a heavy slap shot or a deceptively quick wrister.
Amonte always had the top-flight skills, his problem came in finishing the plays that his skating created. It used to be a common scene in the past to see him bust behind the defense only to bury his shot in the goalie's pads or snap it wide. That's where his game improved the most in 1996-97. Amonte finished his plays on a consistent basis and made opponents pay for their mistakes. This could really be seen on breakaways, where he even developed a nifty backhand-forehand move that was pure gold. It's all just a sign of his improved confidence as a player.
His game also matured in other areas. Amonte was a force all over the ice, backchecking like a demon and finishing every check in sight. His attention to defense paid off in a team high +35. He's just emerged as one of the game's most complete players. And he did it all under some serious pressure. He knew if he didn't get the job done no one else on the Chicago roster would. A lot of guys would have folded or just kept doing what they had done in the past. But not Amonte. He elevated his game to new heights and carried his team into the playoffs. And once they were there he didn't disappear, scoring four goals and two assists while giving the far superior Colorado Avalanche all they could handle in a surprising six-game series.
Amonte became a true superstar last season, not only accepting the spotlight in Chicago but thriving in it. Now the real test will be if he can do it two years in a row. We think he will. Although he'll have to start things off without the flowing locks of hair that have become his trademark. Amonte got sheared in order to attend an off-season wedding. I guess there was a rule that no one in attendance could have longer hair than the bride. That's odd. No word on where Amonte got his hair cut, but there were reports of Darren Pang following him around with a net.
6. Ziggy Palffy, New York Islanders: "Who can turn the red light on with a smile? Who can take a nothing game, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Well, it's you, Ziggy, and you should know it. With each stride and every little deke you show it. Skills are all around, no need to fake it. You could have the league, Ziggy, why don't you take it? Ziggy's gonna make it after all."
That's the theme song to a new sitcom we're working on called "The Ziggy Tyler Moore Show". It's about a young man who moves on his own from Slovakia to Long Island in hopes of making it big in the NHL. We're hoping to get it on the Fall schedule at the WB network. Keep your fingers crossed.
Aside from being a potential sitcom star, Ziggy Palffy has become one of the league's most dangerous goal scorers during his short time in the NHL. The 25-year-old has only been in the league for three seasons and has already eclipsed the 40-goal mark twice, bagging a career high 48 last year with the Fish Stick Boys.
Ziggy's just crafty. He isn't blessed with great size (5'10, 169), so he relies on his quickness and agility to create scoring chances. Palffy has good speed, but he's not in the same class as the Fedorovs and Kariyas of the world. Instead he uses short quick bursts and lateral movements to spring into the open. He doesn't own an overpowering shot, but he does have a quick release and he knows how to beat a goaltender. It's not always how hard you shoot, but where you shoot it. And Ziggy just has a knack for finding the holes. He's a natural. He's also a wizard with the puck on his stick. He can hypnotize defenders with his dazzling stickhandling displays. In fact, on one occasion after playing against Palffy last season, Bruce Driver actually thought he was a chicken. It was weeks before he could have eggs for breakfast. But back to Ziggy, all his skills add up to make him a threat to score every time he touches the puck. And he's more than capable of closing the deal all by himself. Ziggy led the NHL last season with nine unassisted goals.
7. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators: Some people might be surprised to see Alfredsson rated so high, but they shouldn't be. He belongs with the big boys. The 24-year- old Swede followed up his Calder-Trophy-winning rookie season with another strong showing, racking up 24 goals and 71 points for the no longer lowly Ottawa Senators.
But numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Alfredsson is just a brilliant overall talent. Peter Forsberg is the most complete player in the NHL, but Alfredsson isn't too far behind his fellow countryman. What makes the two Swedes so great is their intelligence on the ice. Whether creating offense or clamping down defensively, both men have natural instincts for the game and seldom make a wrong move with or without the puck. They played on the same line together at the World Cup and conducted a clinic on how hockey should be played.
And he isn't just all smarts, either. Alfredsson has so many skills they're falling out of his pockets. He's been an All-Star in each of his first two seasons and has competed in both the Fastest Skater and Hardest Shot competitions. Yet his intelligence as a player just can't be underestimated. Unlike many scorers, Alfredsson knows when to try the individual play and when to get the puck deep. If something isn't there he won't force it. He'll make the smart play and just take what the defense is giving him. He'll gladly dump the puck in and go to work along the boards, where he excels like few others. Basically, Alfredsson plays playoff hockey all year long. Which could be why he made such an effortless transition to the postseason last year, leading the Senators with five goals and seven points in their seven-game thriller with Buffalo.
At the moment the Senators still haven't re-signed Alfredsson to a new contract. He made an average of $325,000 in each of his first two seasons. And that was Canadian. So in US money that's like what? $42.60... $43.00 tops. How can Alfredsson live on that? He's reportedly asking for a three-year deal worth about $2.5 million a season. With the way salaries have been going lately, that's a bargain. Good ol' Pierre Gauthier better quit foolin' around and get Alfredsson signed up before it's too late.
8. Alexander Mogilny, Vancouver Canucks: The long-awaited Alexander Mogilny-Pavel Bure reunion was about as exciting as those old Brady Bunch reunion specials. Bobby a racecar driver? Yeah, whatever. That kid had "30-year-old paper boy" written all over him. Instead of leading the Canucks on a rampage through the Western Conference, Mogilny and Bure combined for just 54 goals, one fewer than Mogilny's 1995-96 total, and the Canucks sputtered to a ninth place finish and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. If this was kick ball somebody would be screaming for a "do over".
Mogilny caught most of the grief for Vancouver's woes. He did lead the team with 31 goals and 73 points in 76 games, but that was a hefty drop from the 55 goals and 102 points he put up the previous year. In the sake of fairness, though, it should be pointed out that offense was down all over the league. There were plenty of other stars that had off years. Hell, even Mario Lemieux only had 122 points. And having Bure and Trevor Linden both out of the lineup for lengthy stretches certainly didn't help Mogilny's offensive production. One somewhat disappointing season doesn't change the fact that he's still one of the game's most talented offensive players. He'll snap out of it. He's a driver, he's a winner... things are gonna change, I can feel it.
The acquisition of Mark Messier should help Mogilny immensely, on and off the ice. Messier's mere presence in town will likely have a calming influence on the whole team, allowing Mogilny to just go out and play his game. That is if he's still in Vancouver. Mogilny recently said that he'd like to be traded. That's silly...
9. Theo Fleury, Calgary Flames: Li'l Theo is still trying to forget last season. It was a nightmare. With Gary Roberts retired, Fleury was the last bastion of the Calgary glory days. He was left alone to shepherd a group of young, unproven talent. Despite his best efforts, Fleury couldn't bear the burden of the "C" on his jersey or the weight of his teammates on his back. He could muster only 29 goals and 67 points while constantly squabbling with head coach Pierre Page. Now Page is gone and so his Fleury's "C". He decided to turn it in following the season.
Despite the woes, Theo makes our list for one simple reason. He's just too damn cool to not make it. If Fleury was on any other team last season he would have likely had another banner year. The situation up in Calgary is just a mess. Right now the only difference between the Flames and an expansion team is, well, they're still in Canada.
Fleury is a marvelous skater, has a quick shot, and loves to mix it up. He can dominate a game at either end of the ice and is still one of the best penalty killers around. He'd be a welcome addition to any roster. Come to think of it, that's probably not a bad idea. Somebody should really rescue Theo. Please?
10. Owen Nolan, San Jose Sharks: Nolan is back in the ten spot for the second straight year. He put up some decent numbers with the Sharks last season (31-32-63), but he's capable of much more. The problem is he's not really the type of guy who can create his own chances. He's a big power forward that needs to have a good setup man to reach his full potential. If he were still in Colorado playing with Peter Forsberg he'd be a lock for 50 goals every time out. Until the Sharks can find a center to play with him, 30-35 goals might be his ceiling.
Nolan's best asset is his shot. Both his wrist and slap shots are absolute cannons. He can score from anywhere with them and he doesn't really sacrifice accuracy for power. He can pick the corners. Nolan has a powerful stride and good hands, but he's not real comfortable lugging the puck. That's why it helps if he has a center that can get things started. One aspect of Nolan's game that always gets overlooked is his passing. He's one of the best playmaking big men in the game.
The knock on Nolan continues to be that he's inconsistent. When he's on his game there are few better. He scores goals, he leads with emotion, and he'll play an unmatched physical game. However, when things go bad, they tend to go real bad. He's an extremely streaky scorer. It's not uncommon for Nolan to go four or five games without a goal and then rattle off five in two nights. That could be acceptable if it weren't for the fact that when he isn't scoring Nolan also has a tendency to stop doing everything else. It's this drastic rise and fall in intensity that drives folks in San Jose crazy. But let's face it, it's gotta be kind of hard to get up for every game when you're playing with the Sharks. I mean, Nolan's not exactly out there with the Western Conference All-Stars. Although who can forget the last time he was? Dominik Hasek certainly won't. The Dominator is still trying to find the wrist shot that Nolan buried under the bar for his hat trick goal. Remember how Nolan pointed to his spot before he shot it? Aw, that was great, that was fun.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks: The Russian Rocket falls from the charts simply because his return was so disappointing. But it usually takes guys one full season to recover from serious knee injuries. So Bure should be good to go this year in Vancouver, or wherever the hell he's playing. If he's healthy, he's one of the most dominating offensive forces in the game.
Claude Lemieux, Colorado Avalanche: Abdominal surgery pretty much washed out Pepe's 1996-97 regular season, but he proved once again what kind of player he is by cranking it up in the playoffs. Good ol' Claude rang up 13 goals in 17 postseason games, reminding everyone that he's still a money player. And now that Mario has retired, Claude can finally say he's the best Lemieux in the league. So that's pretty cool. Maybe he'll get t-shirts made.
Mark Recchi, Montreal Canadiens: Recchi had a nice year with the Canadiens (34-46-80) and did some nice work in the playoffs, so he deserves mentioning. The only problem is that he still isn't a leader or a guy that can carry a team by himself. He's a second-tier star that can compliment others well, just don't expect him to be the cornerstone of a championship team.
MOVIN' ON UP
Sergei Berezin, Toronto Maple Leafs: Keep an eye on this kid. If there's a talent shortage this year it'll be because Berezin has it all. This guy is exciting to watch. he notched 25 goals last season as a 25-year-old rookie. That goal total is only going to rise this year. With Berezin doin' his thing, and Mats Sundin and Steve Sullivan also workin' some magic, the Leafs should actually be a cool team this year.
Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars: The 24-year-old Finnish winger had a swell year in Dallas playing mainly on Mike Modano's right side. Lehtinen put up 16 goals and 43 points in 63 games. The scoring was nice, but he also finished at a +26 and earned a Selke nomination for his defensive vigilance. Lehtinen also has enough offensive talent to be a consistent 30- goal guy. This past season was just the tip of the iceberg... that doesn't necessarily mean there's more to come, just that it was unseasonably cold in Dallas.
NOW I GOT WORRY
Pat Verbeek, Dallas Stars: What the hell happened to Verbeek? He goes buckwild his final season in New York to snag some of that mad free agent scratch and then he just tanked it last year in Dallas. Oh sure, they said he added veteran leadership and was a fierce competitor, but that and 50 cents will buy you a fund-raiser size package of M&Ms. And I know, because some little kid just came to my door and soaked me two bucks for four small packs of 'em. The odd thing is that I don't even eat M&Ms. I just like to stare at all the pretty colors. Reminds me of the circus. But I digress. The point is that Verbeek's 17 regular-season goals weren't exactly what the Stars had in mind when they signed him to a hefty $3-million-a- year contract last summer. And his one playoff goal in seven games hardly slowed the Stars' early exit from the postseason. You know, Dallas could have bought a lot of M&Ms for $3 million...
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE?
Mikael Renberg, Tampa Bay Lightning: Yes, it's true. Renberg now has lightning bolts on his pants. Having been traded to the Land of Cullen, Renberg is going to have to prove that he can survive on his own without the other members of the Legion of Doom. Last season he notched just 22 goals in 77 games, but he posted those numbers while still trying to recover from off-season hernia surgery. He should be back to full strength for the 1997-98 campaign. Renberg is a smooth skater with great hands and will be able to produce some goals in Tampa, especially if he's paired with Mr. Lightning, Brian Bradley. But the pressure is definitely going to be on Renberg to prove that he can hack it on his own.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Top Rated Defensemen -------------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell 1. Chris Chelios, Chicago Blackhawks: Chelios has established permanent residence at the top of our charts. Brian Leetch had a great season last year and claimed his second Norris Trophy, but he still can't touch Chelios. The Chicago captain is simply the best there is. He's always in total command when he's on the ice. And that's saying something considering he plays close to 40 minutes a game, including going the distance during special-teams situations. Defensively, Chelios is positively perfect in his positioning and coverage. He's a living instructional video on how to play the position. He can also put up the points, boasting a slap shot that hovers around the 100mph mark. And when things get ugly, well, chances are Chelios started it. He's the best. What more can you say?
2. Brian Leetch, New York Rangers: Brian Leetch is good. Well, that's enough. Let's keep the big show rollin'...
3. Sandis Ozolinsh, Colorado Avalanche: The most exciting defenseman in hockey was up to his old tricks last season, leading all defensemen in goals (23) and finishing second in points (68). You just never know what's going to happen when the loopy Latvian is on the ice. One shift he'll get abused by a Junior-A deke for a goal, and then the next time out he'll weave his way through everybody and deposit one of his own.
Ozolinsh really isn't as inept on defense as most people would have you think. He's actually quite solid when he wants to be, even dishing out some booming checks and getting involved physically. It's just that when he makes mistakes, he makes them in a big way. Most of the problems are rooted in his decision making. Ozolinsh loves to gamble. There's nothing he won't try with the puck. And he can think up some crazy stuff. It doesn't always work, but you have to admire his creativity and courage to try. Luckily, Ozolinsh plays for a great coach in Marc Crawford that gives him the freedom to play his game. Under anyone else's watch, Sandis would probably be spending a lot of his time at the end of a bench. The best thing to do with Ozolinsh is cut him loose and enjoy the show. You never really know what's going to happen, but one thing's for sure... it's going to be some quality entertainment.
4. Vladimir Konstantinov, Detroit Red Wings: Considering his current condition, it's pretty hard to write something about Konstantinov. Everyone at LCS: Guide to Hockey is hoping that he makes a full and speedy recovery. He remains in all our thoughts. We decided to keep him in the top ten because of our tremendous respect and admiration for him as a player. He was, and is, a truly great defenseman.
5. Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins: Try to find the pattern in the following four items. Bob Dole. The Great Wall of China. Dirt. Ray Bourque. The connection? The things in this list all get progressively older.
Yes, good ol' Ray Bourque will turn 37 this season, proving once again that senior citizens can still contribute to society. Aw, we're just kidding. We like to kid Ray Bourque because, well, we know there's not a chance in hell he reads LCS: Guide to Hockey. Ray is clearly starting to slow down. He got off to a terrible start last season, but actually began picking it up as the year went along. Even with a late season ankle injury that limited him to just 62 games, Bourque still put up 19 goals and 50 points. That's not bad at all, especially considering how pitiful offensive production was last season in the NHL.
Bourque still has all the offensive skills. He's a tremendous shooter. He could skim the icing off a birthday cake at 60 feet. I don't even know what that means. But I do know that Bourque is a paper-plate hittin' mother at All-Star games and he's even more deadly accurate during live action. And we're not talkin' some little sissy shot, either. When Bourque brings it, he brings it with bad intentions.
Oddly enough, it's defensively where Bourque is starting to show his age. Granted, he doesn't exactly have much help these days in Boston, but that's no excuse for the number of times he's given up the puck or been beaten one-on-one the past few years. He might of dropped to sixth on our list, but he's still Ray Bourque. That should count for something. Besides, we were always taught to humor the elderly. Oh relax, it's just a joke...
6. Robert Svehla, Florida Panthers: Svehla is the best kept secret in the NHL. Most people outside of South Florida don't even know he exists. It's their loss.
Svehla can do it all. Everything about the guy is top notch. He has some of the best skills of any defenseman in the league. His skating is exceptional, allowing him to cruise all over the ice without ever getting caught out of position. He moves the puck with tremendous confidence. His passes are crisp, accurate, and varied. When it comes to shooting, few can match Svehla's bomb from the point.
With so much talent for the finer things in life, it would only be natural for Svehla to have some defensive weaknesses. Well, guess again, Clyde. Svehla is as good as they come in his defensive coverage. He's just so smart back there, he makes it all look effortless. That's probably why more people don't notice him, he makes it look too easy. He's really like a Slovakian Chris Chelios. He doesn't have Chelios' mean streak, but Svehla is plenty gritty. He'll mix it up.
It's really about time more people start to notice the greatness of Robert Svehla. We're talking about a guy that should be a serious Norris Trophy candidate this coming season. So to all you people in Florida, put down the damn rats and pick up a phone. Start calling the ignorant and spread the good word of Svehla.
7. Adam Foote, Colorado Avalanche: Aggressive is the one word that best describes Foote. He's absolutely brutal to play against. Every second he's on the ice, Foote is hacking, whacking, or roughin' up somebody. He's only 6'1", 202, which isn't very big these days in the NHL, but he doesn't back down from anyone. Foote doesn't care how big somebody is, he's gonna mess him up. And he's going to do it with a snarl on his face and a song in his heart. The best thing about Foote's intensity is that it's a controlled aggression, and not reckless abandon. He doesn't just fly around taking needless penalties. It's all kept in the confines of his normal, air-tight defensive game. Sure, he'll flip out on occasion, but hey, you gotta keep 'em honest.
Foote dominates on the penalty kill and at even-strength. And while he's never scored more than 21 points in a season, Foote has enough skill to play the point on Colorado's second power- play unit when needed and he moves the puck extremely well. He won't win any style points for his skating, but he gets around faster than most.
Right now, Adam Foote is the best defensive defenseman in the game of hockey. That may sound strong, but it's true. And if you don't agree, you can tell Foote yourself. Just make sure you do it from a safe distance.
8. Derian Hatcher, Dallas Stars: He's no longer the "other" Hatcher. While big brother Kevin continues to flounder in mediocrity, Derian has emerged as one of the game's best young defensemen while playing deep in the heart of Texas. The 25-year-old is a rock along the blue line for the Dallas Stars. He won't score many points, his career high is 31 (1993- 94, 1995-96), but that's not his game. Hatcher is all about playing hard-nosed, physical defense. The 6'5", 225-pound behemoth is a monster in front of the net and will punish opponents all over the ice. He hits hard and clean. If someone doesn't like it, Derian's not scared to drop the gloves and go. He had five fighting majors last season and can throw like a champ. But Derian doesn't sacrifice any intelligence for muscle. He's a smart defender first and a banger second.
What really distinguishes Hatcher from other young defensemen is his maturity. He's been the captain of the Stars for the past two seasons and displays his leadership on a nightly basis, playing almost every other shift at even-strength and often taking the full two minutes during penalty kills. It's just too bad Hatcher wasn't around back in the day. Davey Crockett could have used him at the Alamo.
9. Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues: Okay, so he still may not be as good as Brendan Shanahan, but at least that trade isn't looking as one-sided these days. Pronger carries an unbelievable workload for the Blues. He spends more time on ice than Walt Disney. If he's not out there than it must be intermission. With the possible exception of Chris Chelios, Pronger has to play more than any other skater in the NHL. And when he's out there he's takin' care of business.
Pronger's size is his biggest asset. At 6'5", 210, it's hard to miss the 23-year-old former first-round pick of the Mighty Whale. With his gigantic wingspan, it seems he can go from the left boards to the right in about two strides. When he first broke into the league he took a lot of grief, he still wasn't physically mature and seemed awkward. But now he's grown into his massive frame and there's hell to pay. Pronger is a force. His offensive production is on a slow but steady rise. He posted career highs last season in goals (11) and points (35) while also finishing at a career best +15. If he keeps improving at his current pace, it won't be long before people in St. Louis start asking "Brendan who?"
10. Scott Stevens, New Jersey Devils: Stevens has dropped like a rock in the rankings over the past few seasons. He was rated as high as third back in 1995, now he finds himself all the way down at number ten. That doesn't mean we don't like the guy, because we still love ourselves some Scott Stevens. The reason for his rapid descent is that he quit scoring. Stevens is still strong in his own end, although he did seem a bit more susceptible this past year. And it deserves mentioning that it was Stevens that was beaten behind the net by Adam Graves for the OT series-clinching goal versus the Rangers. But hey, even Picasso spilled some paint.
Stevens is still an all around cool guy. There's no one we like to see deal out punishing checks more than the El Diablo captain. He's a bad man. But to climb back up in the rankings, he's going to have to produce some points. Otherwise, younger aggressive defensemen like Adam Foote, Chris Pronger, and Derian Hatcher, who all in some way seem cut from the Stevens mold, are going to get the nod.
Stevens' best year in the NHL came in 1993-94 when he recorded an impressive 18 goals and 68 points. Now see that's good stuff. Unfortunately, his numbers have fallen every year since. This past season he bottomed out with an embarrassing five goals and 24 points. Ouch. In reflecting on Stevens' scoring woes, I decided to express my feelings as only I can. Yes, that's right... through Haiku. This is what I came up with:
Thank you. Thank you very much. My book of inspirational Haikus, entitled "Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here", can be found at better book stores everywhere. I'm currently working on a collection of off-color limericks that should be ready in time for the holidays. It'll make a great stocking stuffer.
11. Eric Desjardins, Philadelphia Flyers: There's nothing flashy about Desjardins. He doesn't do any one thing better than the rest, he just does everything exceptionally well. He's got swell mobility, moves the puck well, owns a hard shot, is always responsible in his own zone, and is probably the best poke-checker in all of hockey. Beating Desjardins one-on- one is quite the chore. He's extremely patient defensively and rarely makes a mistake in positioning. He won't steamroll anybody, but he uses the body with great effectiveness. There's just no real weaknesses in his game. His consistent presence back on the blue line for Philadelphia makes him one of the most valuable players in the league. The Flyers would be mud without Desjardins.
12. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: Lidstrom continues to be a quiet star for the Red Wings. No one ever really talks about the guy, but he's one of the league's elite. While not fast, Lidstrom is a smooth skater that gets around better than most. He's confident with the puck and can head man it like a champ. But his best weapon on offense is his slap shot. There isn't anyone more dangerous from the point. He's like a Swedish U-boat out there, firing torpedoes on net. Every shot is low and hard, perfect for deflections yet strong enough to score clean. And he's the best among defensemen at one-timing his shot, making it all the more difficult for goaltenders to control. Lidstrom is extremely sound defensively. He'll make his share of mistakes, but on the whole he's a super fantastic defenseman. That's right, super fantastic... live with it. The only reason Lidstrom doesn't rate higher on our list is that he's a little too passive to compete with the guys ahead of him. Plus, Detroit's team concept on defense makes it the easiest job in the league for blueliners. So unless you go around thumping people like Konstantinov, it's tough to earn fame.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues: Big Daddy Mac just keeps on truckin'. His offensive production of 13 goals and 43 points was down a little last season, but he's still a vital member of the St. Louis Blues. Not only did the 34-year-old somehow muster enough stamina to play 30 minutes each night, he also continued his role as mentor for the impressionable Chris Pronger. Mac's just a wily veteran in every sense of the word. He's about as agile as a three-legged moose, but he always positions himself in the right place at the right time. His intelligence as a defenseman often gets overlooked, though, since his slap shot is still the main attraction. Even when he doesn't score with it, he can still scare the hell out of people. Owning a shot that inspires fear is always a good thing.
Steve Duchesne, St. Louis Blues: Igor Kravchuk is nice and all, I mean he's a steady defenseman that can help out in the laboratory, but he's no Steve Duchesne. The Senators will rue the day they sent Duchesne packing back to St. Louis. The 32-year-old Quebec native will be making his second tour of duty with the Blues this season, after scoring 24 goals and 69 points in 83 games with the club between 1993 and 1995.
Duchesne is coming off an exceptional year with Ottawa that saw him compile 19 goals and 47 points while helping the Senators into the playoffs for the first time in their history. He was a mission man down the stretch for the Sens, scoring 13 of his goals in the second half of the season. He can play in all situations and excels at the point on the power play, where his precise passing and heavy shot run the show. Duchesne is also a good leader in the room. His absence was one of the main reasons why the promising Nordique squad of 1992-93 collapsed so miserably the following year. A lot of people forget about him, but Duchesne is still one of the game's best scorers from the back line.
MOVIN' ON UP
Oleg Tverdovsky, Phoenix Coyotes: It seems most young defensemen have breakout years in their third season. Oleg followed that pattern to perfection, finishing fourth among NHL defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 55 points in 82 games. And there's no reason those numbers shouldn't continue to rise in the future. Tverdovsky, still just 21, is a marvelous skater that can cover a whole mess of ice. He's usually paired with LCS favorite Teppo Numminen to make up Phoenix's top defensive pairing in even-strength and short-handed situations. When the desert dogs head to the power play, Oleg routinely logs the entire two minutes at the point, finishing last season with the third-most power-play assists (27) in the league. With as much ice time as he gets, Tverdovsky is a lock for some big-time production.
Janne Niinimaa, Philadelphia Flyers: Niinimaa first came to our attention during the World Cup, where he starred along the blue line for Finland. After seeing him do his stuff with Team Vowel, we had no doubt that he'd be an impact player in the NHL. He got off to a slow start with the Flyers, but once Paul Coffey arrived to show him the ropes, Niinimaa took off. He's a tremendous overall defenseman, combining excellent mobility with good puck skills and the poise of a seasoned veteran. He didn't win the NHL's award, but Niinimaa did claim LCS: Guide to Hockey Rookie of the Year honors. We don't have the budget of the NHL, so our trophy isn't quite as flashy... it's pretty much just an old aluminum can nailed to a broken piece of plywood. But it cleans up real nice.
Bryan Berard, New York Islanders: Berard didn't disappoint in his first pro season, collecting eight goals and 48 points while playing in all 82 games for the Islanders. He even walked away with the Calder Trophy for his trouble. Berard has the potential to one day develop into a point-per-game defenseman. Barring a sophomore slump, expect to see him in the 15-goal, 65-point neighborhood this coming season. And that's a nice neighborhood...
NOW I GOT WORRY
Paul Coffey, Philadelphia Flyers: Coffey leads off a trio of aging, offensive stars that seem to be running on empty. The Doctor had only nine goals and 34 points in 57 games last season with the Red Wings and Flyers. Those numbers dropped even more in the postseason, where Coffey was good for only one goal and nine points in 17 contests, while finishing at a -3. At 36, age and the nagging injuries that go along with it are finally starting to slow down the greatest skater in NHL history. Coffey just doesn't seem to have the same pep on his shot or hop in his step.
He remains a four-time Cup champion and a valuable leader in the room. It's no coincidence that the Flyers made the jump to the Finals in Coffey's first year. He also has the knack of turning good young defensemen into great ones. It was under Coffey's tutelage that Rob Blake, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Janne Niinimaa all became standouts. Coffey is a living legend, but the days of him being a dominant point producer appear to be over.
Phil Housley, Washington Capitals: What the hell is Housley doing on the Washington Capitals? He just does not belong in the Atlantic Division. He should be out in San Jose or Anaheim. Go West, young man... or old man, whatever the case may be. Housley, 33, was a big-time bust in his first year with the Caps, scoring a shabby 11 goals and 40 points in 77 games. That equals a .52 points-per-game average, which was the lowest of his career. Housley's too small and passive to compete in the East. Although, if he does hang with Washington, his numbers will undoubtedly rise this season with the Caps since new coach Ron Wilson is going to turn that pack of underachievers into a powerhouse.
Larry Murphy, Detroit Red Wings: Murph had an incredible postseason with the Red Wings in claiming his third Stanley Cup. His strength remains his intelligence and veteran composure with the puck. Murphy never gets rushed into a mistake. Of course, that could just be because he's too damn slow to be rushed into anything. "Stationary" Larry has always been slower than a tax refund, but nowadays if he gets any slower he'd start moving backwards. Luckily, Detroit is the perfect place for a 36-year-old mobility-impaired blueliner. The Wings' and their vaunted Left Wing Lock are the best in the league at protecting their defensemen from oncoming forecheckers. That alone should allow Murphy to hang on for at least one or two more seasons.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE?
Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings: Let's see, the Scarecrow wanted a brain. The Tin Man wanted a heart. And Rob Blake needed a groin. Blake was well on his way to becoming one of the top five defensemen in the league before chronic groin injuries crippled his promising career. In 1993-94, Blake played in all 84 games and scored 20 goals and 68 points. All was right with the world. Then things got ugly. Blake was limited to 24 games during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign, and followed that up by making only six games in 1995-96. He made a strong comeback early last season, but it wasn't long before he was in and out of the lineup with the usual groin problems. Even when he did play, he was a shadow of his former self, going for eight goals and 31 points in 62 games and finishing at a team worst - 28. If he could get healthy, Blake would be a great one. But one more injury-plagued season could close the book on him.
Roman Hamrlik, Tampa Bay Lightning: In the words of Ralph Kramden, "You, Hamrlik, are a mental case." If this kid was any loopier, Tucan Sam would be trying to stuff him into a box of cereal. There isn't another player around that can go from being a dominant force to a pathetic joke as quickly has the 23-year-old Czech. Hamrlik had just 12 goals and 40 points in 79 games last season, marking a painful 25-point drop off from the season before. His plus-minus also dropped to new depths, plummeting to a ludicrous -29. This is one guy who seems to be in serious need of a scenery change. Don't be surprised to see him end up in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have more Czechs than the United Nations.
Jeff Brown, Carolina Hurricanes: A three-time former 20-goal scorer, Brown used to be one of the best. But now he's trying to return from back surgery that kept him on the shelf for all but one game in 1996-97. Brown's future is on the line this season. Speaking of lines, how could Jacksonville not beat Baltimore by three points? The Ravens blow. Hell, I could pick off Testaverde. And while Vinnie did throw three interceptions to help the cause, what the hell was he doin' throwin' three touchdowns? Just too more damn points and I've got mad cash. Thanks, Vinnie... thanks a lot. So anyway, yeah, Jeff Brown blah blah blah.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Top Rated Goaltenders -------------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell 1. Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche: Sure, a lot of people are hyping Dominik Hasek as the best goalie in the world, but we can't hear 'em. We've got Patrick Roy's Stanley Cup rings in our ears.
It was clearly a three-horse race for the number one spot. Hasek is the flavor of the month with most of the national media, claiming the Hart and Vezina trophies after his sterling 1996-97 performance. No doubt, Hasek is an amazing goaltender. But the minute he wins a playoff series, let us know. The other chief rival for Roy's crown is New Jersey's Martin Brodeur. The 25- year-old Brodeur makes no secret that Roy is his hero. There's a good reason for that admiration. Roy's better than he is.
St. Patrick had a remarkable season with the Avalanche last year, leading the league in wins (38) and finishing fourth in save percentage (.923), while tying his career high in shutouts (7) and setting a new personal best with a 2.32 goals-against average. Roy also had a strong playoff showing, surpassing Billy Smith for most career playoff victories (96) and almost single- handedly carrying the Avalanche past the Red Wings in the Western Conference finals.
Aside from his picturesque butterfly style, it's the intangibles that really separate Roy from the pack. He just seems to have an aura of invincibility about him. His confidence in net, and in the room, can't help but permeate his teammates. Combine this with his fierce competitiveness, and Roy just may be the biggest impact player in the game. It's hard to imagine any other player in the NHL, Mark Messier included, that could have such an overwhelmingly positive effect on a club. And while the benefits to his own team are invaluable, Roy's impact on the opposition is almost as profound. He can squelch a scoring chance without ever coming in contact with the puck. His legendary status in net has opponents intimidated well before the opening faceoff. Shooters know they're in for a long night when they face Roy and often try to be too fine with their shots, causing the boards and glass behind him to take a serious beating.
The guy's got three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythes, and is undoubtedly the best big-game goaltender in today's game, if not the sport's entire history. Hockey is all about winning. If you're not winning, who the hell cares what you do? Patrick Roy is a winner.
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: With each passing season, Brodeur begins to look more and more like his idol, Patrick Roy. Brodeur is effortless in net, always in position to make the big save without ever having to make it look spectacular. Of course, playing behind the New Jersey defense is hardly the toughest gig in show business, but hey, somebody's gotta do it. Brodeur's game really doesn't have any weaknesses, although Marty might want to work on those wraparounds to his stickside. Giving up two series-clinching, overtime goals the same way twice in a career can't be fun. Other than that, Brodeur is the man.
3. Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres: He has a Hart Trophy, three Vezinas, and a Lester Pearson, now he just has to win a playoff series. Hasek continues to stockpile amazing numbers in the regular season, but until he finds success in the playoffs it's impossible to rate him on the same level as Roy. Unless, of course, winning doesn't matter and you're just looking for somebody to flop around and look cool. Then, by all means, select Hasek.
The Dominator's career postseason record stands at 6-11. He saw some spot duty with Chicago early in his career and won a game as Grant Fuhr's backup in 1992-93 for the Sabres, but it wasn't until 1993-94 that Hasek got his first chance to be the number one guy during playoff action. That season the Sabres, playing without the services of an injured Pat LaFontaine, lost a grueling seven-game series to the New Jersey Devils and good ol' Martin Brodeur. The next season saw the Sabres get bounced in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers, with Hasek looking extremely mortal in yielding 3.50 goals a game. That brings us to this past Spring when Hasek split the opening two contests with the Ottawa Senators before injuring his knee in Game Three and missing the remainder of the series. It may not be fair to pin all the playoff woes to Hasek, his teammates certainly have to share in the blame. But still it would have been nice to see him steal at least one of those series. After all, that's what superstar goaltenders are supposed to do.
There's also been all the recent hype about Hasek not getting along with his fellow Sabres and former Buffalo coach Ted Nolan. That's never good to hear. Hasek did earn bonus points with us for throttling the sportswriter guy that questioned the validity of his knee injury, but tearing some ink-stained wretch's shirt isn't exactly lifting the Cup.
If a poll was conducted among NHLers, Hasek would probably be named as the toughest goaltender to beat. That's because he's so unpredictable. He doesn't have a set style, he just does whatever is needed to stop the puck. If that means sprawling along the ice and catching one in the head, then so be it. No one in the game can match Hasek's speed post to post. And beating him down low is almost an impossibility, his feet are just too damn quick. He does have a tendency to drop his gloves at times and he doesn't always come out to challenge like he should, so that means he could be had upstairs. But knowing how to beat Hasek and actually doing it are two different things. Our advice is to follow Owen Nolan's lead and pipe one glove side. Outside of that, good luck. And it all goes back to his being so unpredictable. At least with Roy and Brodeur a shooter knows what to expect. With Hasek, he'll give a shooter a different look on every chance. That's just nutty. How dominating can Hasek be? Well, he won first-star honors in 28 games last season. That deserves a wow...
We pretty much already explained why Roy is listed ahead of Hasek, what with all the Cups and leadership and stuff. That leaves why Brodeur is number two, and not the beloved Dominator. Well first, Brodeur's got a Cup. Tough to argue with that. Second, Brodeur is seven years younger and far more durable. Hasek got a late jump on his North American career and checks in now at a rather advanced 32 years of age. The years might be catching up with him in the form of a bad back that has plagued him at times the past few years. Third, Brodeur is better with the stick. Hasek likes to come out and play the puck, and he isn't that bad with it, but he's nowhere near as skilled with the lumber as Brodeur. And finally, Brodeur is just more reliable. He's a classic butterfly goalie that's always in position. Meanwhile, Hasek's jumpin' around like a chimp on ether. It's fun to watch, but it can also be a little unsettling at times.
4. John Vanbiesbrouck, Florida Panthers: The Beezer is just the consummate pro. He's probably the most consistent goaltender in the league. He puts forth the same level of excellence night after night. I know we say the same thing about him every year, but that just goes to show how consistent he is. A stand-up goalie, Vanbiesbrouck's angle play is superb. There's just nothing to shoot at. He doesn't make that many highlight-reel saves, but that's just because he's never out of position. He makes it all look easy. If he's got a weak spot it's high glove side. He's not bad with the catcher, it's just he's so strong with the blocker that it makes his glove look weak in comparison. But there's not a whole lot wrong with the Beezer. If you want to score against Vanbiesbrouck, you have to earn it. He doesn't give the opposition anything. That's the best trait a goaltender can have.
5. Curtis Joseph, Edmonton Oilers: CuJo moved up in our rankings thanks in large part to his miraculous performance against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs. Joseph carried the Oil into the second round on the strength of some of the most impressive goaltending in recent memory. Folk songs have already been written about his lunging glove save on Joe Nieuwendyk in overtime of Game Seven. As amazing as he was against the Stars, the showing was just a continuation of the incredible work he put in during the regular season. Joseph was a workhorse for the Oil, appearing in 71 games and posting very respectable numbers (2.93 GAA, .907 SV%) while playing behind the flighty young Edmonton squad. He also rang up six big shutouts.
Joseph is just an athlete in net. He can get scrambly at times, but his lightning quick reflexes and agility usually make up for any mistakes in positioning. He isn't scared to flash the leather, owning perhaps the best glove hand in hockey. The guy's just fun to watch play. At any moment he's capable of busting out a once-in-a-lifetime save. He made a split stop on Pavel Bure a few years back that is still being studied by a team of German scientists to find out if it really happened or if it was just a mass hallucination brought on by a faulty air conditioning vent. Joseph has been known to give up a soft one at times and can play too deep in his net, but he's one of only a handful of players that can dominate a game from the goal crease.
6. Mike Richter, New York Rangers: Ranking Richter is always a tough call. When he's on his game he's virtually unbeatable. He stays on his skates, cuts the angles, and uses his amazing reflexes to snuff most every shot. His work at the World Cup and during the second round against New Jersey this past Spring are perfect examples of Richter at his best. There is a flip side, tho'. When Richter struggles, he struggles hard. During such troubled times, it seems like he begins to rely too much on his reflexes and not enough on positioning and technique. His glove tends to drop and he isn't as aggressive in challenging shooters. It also seems the longer Richter sees a shot, the worse he reacts. That's not to say he isn't a great goaltender. Because, let's face it, he's on his game more than he's off.
It was hard to decide whether Richter should be number five or six in the rankings. Richter and Curtis Joseph are two very similar goaltenders. Both have tremendous reflexes. Both can do a split a champ. And both can steal games by themselves. Richter has the advantage in the hardware department, owning a Stanley Cup and a World Cup. That World Cup victory even came in a head-to-head meeting with Joseph. That little fact right there would seem enough to give the man with Aunt Jemima on his helmet the edge. But not so fast there, Pedro. Joseph gets the nod for one simple reason: he's cooler. Richter's a nice guy and all, but he doesn't have a nifty nickname like "CuJo". Joseph also comes out on top in the intensity department. Richter is just a little too friendly in net, almost making it seem like he can be intimidated at times.
7. Guy Hebert, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Hey, get a load of this, Guy Hebert made the top ten! Yes, it's hard to believe, but Guy Hebert is one of the NHL's best goaltenders. Hebert started out as Curtis Joseph's backup in St. Louis and shaking the "backup" label is quite the chore, just ask Kenny Wregget. Hebert finally pried the monkey off his back this season with an outstanding campaign for the mighty water fowl. Hebert was a mission man, posting a 2.67 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and four shutouts in 67 appearances. And he did it all playing behind a blue line that boasted the likes of J.J. Daigneault and Dmitri Mironov as two of its top defensemen. It's never a good sign when a club trades with Pittsburgh in hopes of finding defensive help.
Yet through it all Hebert was a sterling example of goaltending excellence. He got off to a terribly slow start last season, but by the end of the year a case could be made that he was the best goaltender in the league. He was in net so much that backup Mikhail Shtalenkov started his own settlement at the end of the Anaheim bench. Shtalenkov's makeshift town was called "Lonelyville", population one. And while Mikhail was trying to establish a public school system and a health care plan for his new homeland, Hebert was busy putting on a ghetto clinic each night.
A recent convert to the Francois Allaire school of goaltending, Hebert isn't the classic butterfly netminder in the form of Patrick Roy or Felix Potvin, but he has incorporated enough of Allaire's teachings to create an effective hybrid with his old stand-up style. Hebert has existed in the shadows long enough. It's time people start to take notice of his achievements. Then everyone can share in the famous Duck chant: Quack, quack, quack... nice save, dude... quack, quack, quack.
8. Ed Belfour, Dallas Stars: The Eagle dropped a bit in the rankings because of an injury-plagued 1996-97 season that was split between Chicago and San Jose. Reported squabbles with fellow netminder Jeff Hackett punched Belfour's ticket out of Chicago, but he hardly got his feet wet in the Shark Tank before a knee injury sent him to the sidelines. When he returned to action for the boys in teal, it wasn't long before a bulging disk in his back ended his season prematurely. Once summer hit, Belfour jumped ship and signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars. So basically San Jose gave up Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora, and Chris Terreri for the pleasure of watching Belfour play 13 games in a Shark uniform. Yeah, that sounds about right.
The Sharks did there best to try and re-sign him, but Belfour opted for less money in order to play for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in Dallas. That goes to show you that his head's in the right place. Belfour's a fierce competitor. He's got money, he's got Vezinas, now he wants a Cup.
Belfour used to catch a lot of grief because he always seemed to falter in the playoffs, but that's a bunch of jive. Most of that criticism stemmed from the Minnesota North Stars knocking the Hawks off in the first round in 1990-91. Belfour tore the league up that season, leading the NHL in appearances (74), minutes (4127), wins (43), goals-against (2.47), and save percentage (.910). Yet once the Cinderella Stars dispatched Chicago in six games, Belfour was the guy that took most of the heat. The following year Eddie led the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals before running into the buzz saw of Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. But even a Finals appearance wasn't enough to silence all of Belfour's critics. The next two seasons brought two more first round exits for Belfour and the Hawks. Then in 1994-95, Belfour started to turn things around. Eddie practically put the Hawks on his back and carried them into the Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings were a far superior club, and eventually prevailed in just five games, but Belfour was spectacular in trying to keep his team alive. 1995-96 saw another inspired postseason effort from Belfour, as he went head-to-head with Patrick Roy and the mighty Avalanche in the second round before finally yielding in six games to the eventual Cup champs. These two performances have all but put doubts about Belfour's ability to show up in the postseason behind him.
What makes Belfour so great is his aggressiveness in net. He's absolutely fearless in coming out to challenge shooters. When guys bust in down the wing there just isn't any net to speak of. He purposely shows a big five-hole to bait the shooter and then takes it away with a cruel ease. When Belfour's on his game he catches most shots in the belly, a sign of his good angle work and the opposition's failure to pick the five-hole. On scrambles around the cage, Eddie likes to go down to one knee and take away the bottom of the net. That leaves him open upstairs. The only catch is that he's usually in such good position that any shots over his shoulders also end up over the net.
Belfour's just a tremendous goaltender. If he's healthy this year in Dallas, the Stars and Avalanche will be battling it out in the Western Conference Finals. Health is the only question mark for Belfour, and it's not due to a lack of conditioning. Belfour is always in superb shape. And we're talkin' iron-man- triathlete shape, not average-Joe-hockey-player shape. His back has been an area of concern the past few years, but he should be good to go. At 32, though, an injury like that could linger. If we were sure he was back to full strength, Belfour would be fighting John Vanbiesbrouck for the number four spot in our rankings. As is, the eight hole seems fair.
9. Felix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs: Oh, that wacky Cat. Potvin was brutal at the start of last season. Soft goals were routine and more than a few fans in Toronto were willing to send him packing. But as the season wore on, Potvin started to find his stride. By the end, the 26-year-old was back to his old self. Quickness is still Potvin's forte. And he needs to be quick with how far back he plays in net. Questionable positioning aside, he's still a study in perfection when it comes to butterfly technique.
Considering the sad state of the Maple Leaf team in front of him, Potvin's numbers were quite staggering. He had a naturally inflated 3.15 goals-against average, but his save percentage was a very respectable .908. It was Potvin's endurance, however, that took center stage. He led the league in both games (74) and minutes played (4271). That workload is even more impressive when it's considered he faced a league-leading 34.2 shots per game. It's amazing he didn't collapse from exhaustion. And who can forget Felix dropping the gloves and workin' Ron Hextall? That pummeling alone would have earned him a spot in the top ten.
10. Nikolai Khabibulin, Phoenix Coyotes: By now, everyone should know that we love ourselves some Khabby. He is a bona fide LCS cult hero. Every day at noon we bow in his direction. We've even started spelling our names with silent K's. We'd have liked to rate him higher than ten, but one thing was holding Khabby back: consistency. He just doesn't have any. He'll post a shutout one night and then get used for six the next time out.
The good news is that Khabby's only been in the league for three seasons and is just 24 years old, so there's plenty of time to work on becoming consistent. If he could become more stable in net, Khabby definitely has the tools to become a superstar. He's a little unorthodox in there, but he gets the job down. His style is reminiscent of Billy Ranford, especially when he starts breaking out the lunging kick saves. He's got great quickness, challenges well, and is sturdy as they come. Khabby started the final 42 games of the regular season and then tacked on seven straight in the playoffs. That there is something special. But the best thing about our Russian friend is that he has that rare ability to step up and take over a game. At one point last season he notched three straight shutouts. That's hard to do. All hail Khabby. Khabby is great.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sean Burke, Carolina Hurricanes: Burke is a swell goaltender. He has great size and knows how to use it. When he's on his game there's just nothing to shoot at it. Burke's big problem, though, is a chronic bad back that seems to cost him several key games each season. If Burke could just stay healthy, he could make any team a serious playoff contender. Which is why his name is always involved in trade rumors.
Grant Fuhr, St. Louis Blues: How amazing has Grant Fuhr been the past two years? The soon to be 35-year-old netminder has played more hockey than any other NHL goalie during the past two regular seasons, appearing in an astounding 152 games and logging 8,626 minutes between the pipes. Fuhr still has the razor-sharp reflexes and cat-like agility of his younger days. He even showed a tremendous work ethic this past off- season, something he was always questioned for, when he recovered from a serious knee injury suffered in the 1995-96 playoffs. Fuhr still has the ability to steal a game on his own. Yet somehow he never quite cracks our top ten. Go figure?
Bill Ranford, Washington Capitals: Ranford is, without doubt, the most exciting goaltender in the league. Every save this guy makes is one for the time capsule. He's been battered by injuries the past two seasons and hasn't been his usual sparkling self. This is the first year that Billy hasn't made our top ten. But it should just be a one-year absence. Look for Ranford and the Caps to have a monster season this year in Washington.
MOVIN' ON UP
Stephane Fiset, Los Angeles Kings: The good news is that Fiset finally got his chance at being a number one goaltender this season after never quite reaching that status during his time in Quebec and Colorado. The bad news is that his chance came with the Los Angeles Kings. Even though he had one of the worst teams on the planet in front of him, Fiset proved that he has what it takes to be a legitimate number-one guy in the NHL. His stats weren't that great, but the Kings could make Jacques Plante look like scrap. Fiset's other big problem was a nagging back injury that always seemed to derail him right when he started to string together some impressive outings. If he can stay healthy, he's definitely on the rise.
NOW I GOT WORRY
Kirk McLean, Vancouver Canucks: It wasn't long ago that McLean was considered one of the game's best. In 1991- 92, he tied for the league lead in both wins (38) and shutouts (5). In 1993-94, McLean spearheaded the Vancouver charge to the Stanley Cup finals by playing all of his team's 24 games, earning 15 wins and four shutouts. Sadly, it's been downhill ever since.
The 31-year-old has been hampered by knee injuries the past two seasons in compiling a 36-39-12 record. It's hard to believe but his 1996-97 goals-against average of 3.21 was actually a dramatic improvement over his 3.54 mark the previous year. It's tough to tell if his recent struggles are a result of the Canucks having problems as a team, or if the team's problems are in large part due to McLean's woes. It's probably 50/50... a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
McLean's rigid, stand-up style is a throwback to the old days. Come to think of it, maybe that's what he should do with it... throw it back. McLean's game is all about positioning. He has to be aggressive in order to play well, since cutting the angle is pretty much the only chance he has to stop a low shot, but he can't get crazy with it. If he roams too much, he lacks the foot speed and agility to make up the difference and the mistake usually ends up in his net.
Maybe Mark Messier's arrival will be enough to snap McLean back to his old self. If not, newcomer Arturs Irbe will be waiting in the wings. And, as we all know, Irbe like wall... chomp, chomp, chomp... Irbe like wall.
WHICH WAY DO I GO, GEORGE
Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins: After playing just five games last season with a 5.78 goals-against before shoulder surgery ended his season, word on the street was that Tom Barrasso would never again suit up for the Penguins. That rumor was greeted by a chorus of applause all throughout the Steel City. It's hard to believe, but the two-time Cup winner and local hero had become everyone's least favorite Penguin due to his perceived arrogance and a series of bizarre rumors about his off-ice behavior. Kenny Wregget was clearly the fan favorite in town. Barrasso's miserable start and season-ending injury seemed to be the nail in his coffin. Having rookie Patrick Lalime come out of nowhere and rewrite the NHL record book certainly didn't help his chances of a return, either. Toss in a $2 million a year salary, and Barrasso's days in the Burgh definitely seemed over.
That's why it was all the more shocking when Pittsburgh GM Craig Patrick announced this summer that Barrasso will be back in 1997- 98. While appearing on a local sports talk show, Patrick said that Barrasso is healthy and ready to go. When viewers called in to question the move of bringing him back, Patrick defended Barrasso, even going as far to say that he is a better goaltender than Ed Belfour, who could have been signed as a free agent. The only thing more puzzling than Barrasso's return is Patrick's apparent blind devotion to the former star goaltender. We're talking about a guy in Barrasso who has played only 56 games the past three years and has done his best to distance himself from his fans and teammates.
If he's healthy and his head is on straight, Barrasso can still be a great goaltender. It's just that most Penguin fans would prefer to see a tandem of Wregget and Lalime next season, with the money spent on Barrasso going elsewhere, like trying to sign former number one pick Alexei Morozov. But Patrick and the Penguin brass seem intent on giving Barrasso another chance. Now he has to prove he deserves it.
Jocelyn Thibault, Montreal Canadiens: When Thibault was acquired in the Patrick Roy trade, he was expected to be the Canadiens' number one goaltender for the next ten years. Unfortunately, owning the spotlight in his hometown seemed a bit more than the 22-year-old Montreal native could handle. By the time the playoffs rolled around, 20-year-old rookie Jose Theodore had won over the fans and the starting job. The Habs also went out this off-season and signed Andy Moog to provide some veteran leadership in net. The question now is will Moog be the mentor to Thibault or Theodore? If the Habs think Theodore is ready, Thibault could be on a different roster this season. Wherever he plays, the youngster has a lot to prove in 1997-98.
SCARY MOTHER
Damian Rhodes, Ottawa Senators: Late last season, ESPN was running some piece during one of their broadcasts that involved short clips of a number of players voicing their opinions on the subject at hand. I can't remember what they were talking about, it might have been the goal-crease rule, but one of the brief video clips was taken from an interview with Damian Rhodes. This was the first time we had ever heard Rhodes speak, or seen him out of his equipment for that matter. He was only on screen for about two seconds, but it was enough to scare the hell out of us. It's hard to explain why exactly. I can't even remember what he said. It was more how he said it. His demeanor was, shall we say, peculiar? I guess the best way to describe it was that he reminded me of Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear. Now Pat Smear is a great guy and all, but I'm not sure that a hockey player would want to be confused with Pat Smear... not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just, you know, different...
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Center of Attention -------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Iovino For the longest time, center has been the glamour position in the NHL. Starting with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux and continuing with the likes of Pat LaFontaine, Steve Yzerman, Adam Oates and Mark Messier, the 1980s and most of the 90s have been dominated by high profile, high-scoring centers.
But a new decade is approaching and the center spot isn't as glamorous as it once was. Once considered the strongest position in the NHL, center has suddenly lost its luster. Lemieux's retiring created a big void that needs replacing. Gretzky has just one or two years left in an amazing career before he says good bye, as well. LaFontaine's career could be cut off prematurely due to injury and Yzerman, Oates and Messier are all nearing the end.
As the stars of the 80s and 90s skate off into the sunset, the future of center ice doesn't look as promising as its past. Outside of Eric Lindros, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, the glamour is starting to fade from center.
Sure, there is still some young talent out there that could make an impact now and in the future. Sergei Fedorov will put up incredible numbers with more playing time. Chris Gratton could explode as a Philadelphia Flyer. Dougie Weight's smooth moves could push Edmonton to the top. The same could be said of Alexei Yashin in Ottawa. And Mike Modano is one Star that continues to rise in Dallas.
Despite this, center just isn't as magical a position it once. When you take a look at LCS: Guide to Hockey's list of top centers, you'll probably see that it particularly pales in comparison to right wing, where all indications point to a sudden surge of great talent.
Unlike a few years ago when center was where it's at, some of the game's top talent can now be found on the right side. There stands some of the league's best, from Jaromir Jagr, who could be the most explosive and entertaining player in the league today, to that milk-drinking Duck, Teemu Selanne.
Now that Lemieux is finally out of the picture in Pittsburgh, the Penguins are Jagr's team. And this season will be key to see just how far the flashy Czech can carry a NHL franchise. The Pens' superstar center is gone, but now they have a right wing to rely on. Can Jagr create the same magic from the right side as Lemieux did from center? Everyone will find out this season.
In Anaheim, Selanne and teammate Paul Kariya are part of an interesting situation. They are two of the greatest players in the league today playing on the same team, yet they aren't centers. Selanne controls the right side of the ice while Kariya does the same on the left. The Ducks have found it hard to come up with the right center to fit in between the dynamic duo. Last season Steve Rucchin, considered by many to be an unknown before the year, did an excellent job of setting the two Ducks up without getting in their way.
Right wing is full of explosive goal-scoring machines throughout the league. Jagr and Selanne head the list, followed by models of consistency Peter Bondra and Brett Hull. From there the names might not strike fear, but they're just as deadly. Tony Amonte bagged over 40 goals last season for a terrible Chicago Blackhawk offense. Ziggy Palffy suffered no sophomore slump in carrying the New York Islander offense for most of the season. And Daniel Alfredsson proved why he should be paid more than your average Ottawa Senator with his second straight season of great offense and defense.
The 1996-97 season proved that the kids could play, but there were some veteran right wingers who also showed off a thing or two. Although his production slipped, Alexander Mogilny proved that he could still find the net for a sub-par Canuck squad. Theo Fleury was stuck in the same situation in Calgary, but was still able to collect a decent season.
All of these names make for a great crop of right wings, a crop that surpasses the group of centers currently in the league.
For those of you who are wondering, left wing starts out with a group that rivals right wing and center, but then drops off significantly. The front four includes John LeClair, Kariya, Keith Tkachuk and Brendan Shanahan, who are four of the best players in the league. Adam Graves and Valeri Kamensky follows, but from there the quality goes down quickly.
Adam Deadmarsh is next, but for the seventh best left wing, there are still some big question marks about his game.
Vincent Damphousse, who could also be considered a center, and Geoff Sanderson are rated next, followed by Ryan Smyth, who we considered the tenth best left wing, although he's spent just one season in the league. It's very unusual for LCS Hockey to rate players like Smyth that high, but because the left wing position is so weak, there was really no other choice. Don't get us wrong, Smyth is a good player, but we like to make sure a guy can produce for more than one season before we hype him up as one of the 10 best left wingers in the game today.
Even though left wing isn't as deep, the top four players are four of the game's very best. Back in the day, the top 10 centers could have also been considered as the top 10 players in the game. But as the game and the players change, so does the league's strengths and weaknesses.
Center is not the center of attention any more.
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NHL News
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by Michael Dell
TRANSACTIONS
Here's a recap of some of the most recent transactions:
Anaheim: Re-signed Darren Van Impe, d, to a two-year contract.
Boston: Traded Jozef Stumpel, c, and Sandy Moger, rw, to LA Kings for Dimitri Khristich, c/lw, and Byron Dafoe, g.
Calgary Flames: Traded Gary Roberts, lw, and Trevor Kidd, g, to Carolina for Andrew Cassels, c, and Jean-Sebastian Giguere, g. Signed centers Aaron Gavey and Erik Andersson.
Carolina: Traded Andrew Cassels, c, and Jean-Sebastian Giguere, g, to Calgary for Gary Roberts, lw, and Trevor Kidd, g. Signed Steve Martins, c, and forward Ethan Philpott. Announced Brent Fedyk, lw, accepted free agent tryout. Acquired Enrico Ciccone, d, from Chicago. Traded Alexander Godynyuk, d, to St. Louis for Steve Leach, lw, and a sixth-round pick.
Chicago: Agreed to terms with Jimmy Waite, g.
Colorado: Re-signed Joe Sakic, c.
Dallas: Signed Chris Tancill, lw. Announced Neal Broten, c, retired.
Edmonton: Traded Mariusz Czerkawski, rw, to NY Islanders for Dan Lacouture, lw.
Florida: Re-signed Johan Garpenlov, lw, to a three-year contract.
Los Angeles: Traded Kevin Stevens, lw, to NY Rangers for Luc Robitaille, lw. Traded Dimitri Khristich, c/lw, and Byron Dafoe, g, to Boston for Jozef Stumpel, c; Sandy Moger, rw; and a fourth-round draft pick.
Montreal: Re-signed Valeri Bure, rw, and Scott Thornton, c, to one-year contracts.
New Jersey: Acquired Vlastimil Kroupa, d, from San Jose for a 1998 third-round pick.
NY Islanders: Traded Dan Lacouture, lw, to Edmonton for Mariusz Czerkawski, rw. Announced Bob Beers, d, retired.
NY Rangers: Signed Brent Thompson, d; Jeff Finley, d; and Pierre Sevigny, lw. Acquired Mike Peluso, lw, from St. Louis for future considerations. Waived David Oliver, rw.
Ottawa: Signed Chris Phillips, d, to a three-year contract. Traded Steve Duchesne, d, to St. Louis for Igor Kravchuk, d. Re-signed Lance Pitlick, d. Signed Derek Armstrong, c.
Philadelphia: Signed Chris Gratton, c. Traded Mikael Renberg, rw, and Karl Dykhuis, d, to Tampa Bay for the four first-round draft picks lost by signing Gratton. Announced Dale Hawerchuk, c, retired.
Phoenix: Signed Jeff Christian, lw.
Pittsburgh: Signed Martin Straka, c, and Brad Werenka, d. Re-signed Ian Moran, d. Invited Rob Brown, rw, to training camp. Acquired Jiri Slegr, d, from Edmonton for a third-round pick.
San Jose Sharks: Traded Vlastimil Kroupa, d, to New Jersey for 1998 third-round pick. Signed Bill Houlder, d. Released Ray Whitney, c. Announced Tim Hunter, rw, retired. Two days later, Tim Hunter's nose announced its retirement.
St. Louis: Traded Igor Kravchuk, d, to Ottawa for Steve Duchesne, d. Signed Shayne Toporowski, rw.
Tampa Bay: Lost Chris Gratton, c, to Flyers. Traded the four first-round compensation picks back to the Flyers for Mikael Renberg, rw, and Karl Dykhuis, d. Signed Louie Debrusk, lw; Paul Brousseau, rw; and Viktor Ignatjev, d. Signed Yves Racine, d.
Vancouver: Signed Grant Ledyard, d.
STEINBRENNER BUYING ISLES?
New York Islanders owner John Pickett is still trying to find someone to
take the club off his hands since the deal with John Spano fell through.
Rumor has it that NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is among four possible buyers.
Steinbrenner isn't saying if he'll make a bid or not, but he has already fired several Islander
employees and has inquired about the possibility of naming Billy Martin has coach.
NHL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Here's the schedule for all the boring, meaningless games that clubs still
charge fans full price to see...
Date Schedule Time (EST)
Sat, Sept 13 Florida vs. Boston at Charlotte, NC 7:00
NY Islanders at Carolina 7:30
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 7:30
Toronto at Montreal 7:30
Ottawa vs. Buffalo at Hamilton, ONT 7:30
Dallas at Chicago 8:30
Sun, Sept 14 NY Rangers at Montreal 5:00
Boston at Florida 6:00
Washington vs. New Jersey at Albany, NY 7:00
Phoenix at Calgary 8:00
Dallas at St. Louis 8:00
Anaheim at Edmonton 8:00
San Jose vs. Los Angeles at San Diego, CA 9:00
Mon, Sept 15 Ottawa vs. Carolina at Bathurst, NB 6:30
Toronto at NY Rangers 7:30
Los Angeles at Colorado 9:00
Vancouver at Edmonton 9:00
Tue, Sept 16 Phoenix at Calgary TBA
Ottawa vs. Carolina at Halifax, NS 6:30
Detroit at Pittsburgh 7:30
Montreal at Toronto 7:30
Dallas at Tampa Bay 7:30
Wed, Sept 17 Pittsburgh at Detroit 7:30
NY Rangers at NY Islanders 7:30
Washington at Tampa Bay 7:30
Philadelphia at Montreal 7:30
Edmonton at Ottawa 7:30
Boston vs. St. Louis at Oklahoma City, OK 8:30
San Jose at Colorado 9:00
Vancouver at Anaheim 10:05
Thu, Sept 18 Buffalo at Carolina 7:30
Washington at Florida at Tallahassee, FL 7:30
St. Louis at Colorado 9:00
Anaheim at Phoenix 9:00
Vancouver at San Jose 10:30
NY Islanders at NY Rangers TBA
Fri, Sept 19 St. Louis at Dallas 7:00
New Jersey at Philadelphia 7:30
Toronto at Detroit 7:30
Washington vs. Florida at Mobile, AL 7:30
Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh at Huntsville, AL 7:30
Montreal vs. Boston at Providence, RI 7:30
Phoenix at Chicago 8:30
Sat, Sept 20 Chicago at Dallas 7:00
Tampa Bay at Washington 7:00
Detroit at Toronto 7:30
Philadelphia at New Jersey 7:30
Calgary at Phoenix 9:00
NY Rangers at Vancouver 10:00
Colorado vs. Los Angeles at Las Vegas, NV 10:30
Edmonton at Anaheim 10:35
Sun, Sept 21 Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh at Cleveland, OH 3:00
Boston at Montreal 5:00
Edmonton at Vancouver 8:00
Calgary vs. Phoenix at Tucson, AZ 9:00
Colorado at San Jose 10:30
Mon, Sept 22 Montreal at Ottawa 7:30
Chicago at St. Louis 8:30
NY Rangers at Calgary TBA
Tue, Sept 23 Detroit at Carolina 7:30
Buffalo at Toronto 7:30
Tampa Bay at Florida 7:30
Pittsburgh vs. Boston at Worcester, MA 7:30
Chicago at Phoenix 9:00
Ottawa at Edmonton 9:00
NY Rangers at San Jose 10:30
Los Angeles vs. Vancouver at Tacoma, WA TBA
Wed, Sept 24 Tampa Bay at Dallas 7:00
Boston at Pittsburgh 7:30
Carolina at Detroit 7:30
Washington at Philadelphia 7:30
Colorado at St. Louis 8:30
Calgary at Vancouver 10:00
Phoenix at Anaheim 10:35
Los Angeles vs. San Jose at Boise, ID TBA
Thu, Sept 25 Florida at Tampa Bay 7:30
New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:30
Toronto at Buffalo 7:30
Carolina at NY Islanders 7:30
Colorado vs. Washington at Moline, IL 7:30
Dallas at Phoenix 9:00
Ottawa at Edmonton 9:00
Fri, Sept 26 Boston at Detroit 7:30
Toronto vs. Florida at Hamilton 7:30
NY Rangers at New Jersey 7:30
Philadelphia vs. Washington at Richmond, VA 7:30
Buffalo at Ottawa 7:30
Montreal at Chicago 8:30
Los Angeles at Anaheim 10:35
Sat, Sept 27 Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 4:00
Colorado vs. Washington at Hershey PA 7:00
Phoenix at Dallas 7:00
Detroit at Boston 7:00
NY Islanders at New Jersey 7:30
Florida at Toronto 7:30
Chicago at Montreal 7:30
Carolina at Buffalo 7:30
Calgary at Edmonton 8:00
San Jose at Vancouver 10:00
Anaheim at Los Angeles 10:30
Sun, Sept 28 Tampa Bay at Detroit 7:00
Edmonton at Calgary 8:00
St. Louis at Chicago 8:30
Mon, Sept 29 New Jersey at NY Islanders 7:30
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I Heard Things
---------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino
FEDOROV A DEFENSEMAN NO MORE?
Fedorov emphatically said he does not want to play defense at all this season. Last year the 27-year-old Russian star was used on defense by head coach Scotty Bowman. Bowman also used Fedorov in more of a defensive role throughout the season, which Fedorov didn't find too pleasing, either.
The market value for Fedorov is off-kilter due to the role Bowman used him last season. Fedorov, usually one of the highest-scoring players in the league, tallied 63 points and 30 goals in 74 games last season. Those numbers don't make for a huge contract, but everyone knows the kind of talent Fedorov can display when he gets a chance. Fedorov did lead the club in postseason scoring with 20 points.
Other high-profile Group II free agents include Paul Kariya, Mike Modano and Alexander Mogilny.
HULL WON'T BE AN AV
Colorado Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix denied the rumor that the
Avs were trying to trade for St. Louis Blues star Brett Hull.
Hull, who is in the last year of a contract that will pay him $4.7 million, is reportedly on the trading block (once again). The Blues would like to get rid of Hull's big paycheck, especially since he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Colorado was one of a few teams reportedly interested (along with Washington and the Rangers), but the Avalanche won't be calling for Hull's services anytime soon. The Avs already had to do some major financing just to sign Joe Sakic, so taking on Hull's contract just wouldn't make sense.
Colorado might have to trade off some salaries themselves before the start of the season. If such drastic measures are needed, defenseman Uwe Krupp could be one of the first to go.
BURE ON THE BLOCK
While the Blues are looking for a taker for Brett Hull, the
Vancouver Canucks are trying to deal disgruntled speedster Pavel
Bure. Bure asked for a trade last week because he just wasn't
happy with coach Tom Renney's defensive system.
The Canucks might find it hard to trade Bure due to his enormous contract. Bure, who has scored just 49 goals combined in the past three seasons, is set to make $5.5 million this season and next. The Russian Rocket is also coming off several injured years, as well. He has had severe knee problems and had to sit out a lot of games last season due to complications associated with whiplash.
If Bure had his way, he'd love to play on Broadway with the New York Rangers. Apparently the price is too steep for the Rangers, however, who don't want to give up Niklas Sundstrom in any deal. Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles are reportedly the teams with the most interest in Bure. The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders are also supposedly interested. Each team is looking for a big-name player to fill some seats. But is giving up $5.5 million dollars worth it?
By the way, Alexander Mogilny is on the trade block, also.
MODANO TALKS SLOW
Mike Modano, who is a Group II free agent, said talks are going
slow with the Dallas Stars and he might not be in the Stars' camp
when it opens next week.
The Stars reportedly offered Modano a six-year deal worth $22 million. For those of you not wise in the ways of division, that works out an average of $3.5 million a year. Modano is believed to be looking for a contract worth about $4.5 million a year.
Modano's agent said he has also been in contact with the Rangers, Florida Panthers and the Detroit Red Wings.
AS DANGEROUS AS A HURRICANE
Due to last week's trade that sent Andrew Cassels to Calgary,
Gary Roberts will attempt his incredible comeback with the
Carolina Hurricanes, formerly the Hartford Whalers.
Roberts is attempting to come back from a serious neck injury that forced him to retire before last season. After several surgeries and a tremendous amount of rehabilitation, Roberts believes he is ready to make a comeback, and an impact, as well.
Doctors gave Roberts an OK to make the comeback. They said he wouldn't risk paralysis or other serious consequences by playing again.
Roberts did admit that he's going to have to change his style of game a little if he wants to stick around this season. He said he's going to have to be "a little smarter," meaning he will try not to go into corners or stand in front of the net with reckless abandon.
How confident is Roberts in his comeback attempt? The former 50-goal scorer said he thinks he has five good years of hockey left in him. Let's hope Roberts is right. The guy's one of the game's best.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus Babies Alive and Well in the NHL --------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Iovino Bonus: something in addition to what is expected or strictly due: as a) money or an equivalent given in addition to an employee's usual compensation. b) a premium (as of stock) given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities, to a promoter, or to an employee. c) a government payment to war veterans. d) a sum in excess of salary given an athlete for signing with a team
Only the sports world could get its own definition for words in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. But then again, the sports world could sometimes be considered farther away from the reality than a good sci-fi flick.
Signing bonuses are all the rage in sports these days. Want a free agent really bad? Give him a ton of money up front so his old team can't match it. While this might sound close to reality, the numbers are truly mind-boggling.
Take a new job in the real world, some might call it "the working world", and you might get a $5,000 signing bonus. Supposedly this should be used to cover the cost of moving. Take a new job in the National Hockey League, and the signing bonus is a lot higher. Joe Sakic, who was signed to an offer sheet by the New York Rangers, would have received a $15 million signing bonus. Forget about the bill from U-Haul for moving from Denver to Broadway, Sakic could have bought the entire fleet of moving vans for that amount of money.
Sakic, who was a Group II free agent, was eventually retained by the Colorado Avalanche. Thanks to some creative financing, the Avs were able to match the three-year, $21 million offer the Rangers threw Sakic's way, including the $15 million up front.
The contract offer to Sakic is just one example of the tricky tactics teams are using in an attempt to get the restricted free agents they want instead of having the old teams match those offers. Is it legal? Sure is. Is it looked upon kindly by the rest of the league? By most teams, no.
The exploitation of small market teams in the league is very concerning. While the small market teams struggle to develop talented players, their major market rivals just hover up above like vultures. They wait for the small market teams' prized possessions to become available through free agency then they pounce upon them and snatch them up before the small market franchises know what hit them.
The Rangers, who lost Mark Messier earlier in the off-season to free agency, went after Sakic because they thought the Avalanche was strapped for cash. As it turned out, they were. Colorado was already paying big bucks to Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy, and without a new arena, the team was losing money.
So the Rangers tried their luck with Sakic. They offered the superstar center a ludicrous contract that would pay him $17 million in the first year, then $2 million the next two seasons. That meant the Avs would have to come up with a lot of money really fast. The Rangers didn't think Colorado could do it. The Avs proved the Rangers wrong.
By closing a deal on a new arena and a new cable contract, the Avalanche was able to match the offer.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, another of the league's small market franchises, weren't as lucky in their quest to match an offer to the pride of their organization, Chris Gratton.
Gratton, who like Sakic was a Group II free agent, was signed to an offer sheet by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers, fresh off of a full season in a brand new arena, had plenty of cash to throw in Gratton's direction. Philadelphia offered the 22-year old a $16.5 million offer for five years. The deal included a $9 million signing bonus.
The Lightning had no funds to match the offer. But what is a team like the Lightning going to do this season when they lose their best player and receive just four draft picks in return? How can a small market team survive when something like this happens?
Tampa Bay found that there's not much it can do. But to his credit, general manager Phil Esposito got a little creative. He talked the Flyers into reacquiring the four picks in exchange for two players - Mikael Renberg and Karl Dykhuis.
The trade staved off total annihilation of the Lightning for now, but how long can the exodus of players from small market teams to large market teams continue?
There are many things wrong with the mentality of the large signing bonuses given to free agents. The obvious inflation of salaries is killing small market teams. Everyone knows this is the case, but if the large markets continue to exploit this, there's no way a majority of the teams in the league can stay competitive. Sooner or later, the smaller markets like Edmonton will become nothing more than farm teams for the larger franchises.
Even if every team was on an even level, the increase in money shelled out to players just isn't paying off. If you're giving tremendous amounts of money to an unproven player like Mattias Ohlund, who the Toronto Maple Leafs offered $10 million for five years (including an outrageous $7.5 million signing bonus), what are established players going to command? Steve Duchesne will be a free agent after this season. It would be reasonable for someone like him to look at an offer like the one Ohlund received and say he deserves more. Of course he does. He has paid his dues in the league for years and should command a lot more respect (and money) than a rookie like Ohlund.
It is just like the NHL to start doing something like this. The owners complain that they don't have enough money to constantly feed the expanding salaries, but yet there they are every year making more and more outrageous offers.
When will the insanity stop? No one knows. But as long as there's some fool out there willing to shell out millions of dollars for an NHL franchise, then spend even more money on talent that might or might not help their team win a Stanley Cup, you can be sure free agency will flourish.
As a matter of fact, if the big-spending ways of teams continue, the sports world might soon get its own definition for another word.
Sucker.
------------------------------------------------------------------ THE NHL: JUST ANOTHER SUMMER AT THE OFFICE? ------------------------------------------------------------------ By Carol Schram - Vancouver Correspondent Every year it seems like the chimes of doom sound just a little louder for the National Hockey League. Small market teams change cities, business and financial squabbles clog front-office operations, and oh - those salary demands!
This year, we've got the new Carolina Hurricanes to contend with, plus Ken Dryden's organizational nightmare in Toronto, franchises looking for fresh starts with new General Managers in Los Angeles, Washington, St. Louis, and Buffalo, and new coaches behind nearly half the NHL benches. Plus, this summer has been one of the biggest ever with respect to player movement - or has it?
Free agency has always been a bit of a strange bird in pro sports. In the NBA, a player can move after just three years. His potential is usually pretty clear by that point, so teams are usually prepared to buck up for a big-money, long-term deal to secure a franchise player for six or seven years. This summer, a seven-foot tree trunk named Bryant "Big Country" Reeves became the highest-paid athlete in Canadian history when he signed a six-year contract extension with the Vancouver Grizzlies for $68.4 million. Sure, he's considered a cornerstone of the franchise, but let's not forget that, through two seasons, this franchise is the losingest in NBA history, and Country's not even considered a sure-thing prospect.
Does this mean the sports minds at parent company Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment have all gone screwy? On the contrary, while people are tempted to oooh and aahh about the dollar value of this contract, the organization is generally congratulated for doing the deal quickly and cleanly, and for recognizing what it takes to compete in the playground that is the NBA.
For the most part, those same minds were also applauded when they worked quickly and quietly for a week in July, opening the vault again to bring 36-year-old unrestricted free agent Mark Messier to their hockey arm, the Canucks. The team has long been searching for a superstar center, and it was considered a major coup to lure Messier away from the bright lights of the Big Apple, especially home to a Canadian team. Everyone knew Canadian franchises weren't supposed to have the wherewithal to compete for those big-name free agents... right??
For a snap of a finger, if you live in Vancouver, everything seemed right with the hockey world. Then, our arch enemies in the centre of Canada squashed our celebration by announcing that they had signed our defected free agent defenseman, Mattias Ohlund, to a five-year, $10 million, front-loaded deal. For a team that traded Doug Gilmour just last spring to cut salaries, the move was definitely unexpected. The Leafs' only justification was that, if the Canucks didn't match the offer, they wouldn't have to surrender any compensation for Ohlund. Toronto was hoping that maybe the coffers were a little emptier than usual, right after the Messier signing.
With nothing to gain by surrendering the rights to Ohlund, $10 million didn't seem like so much to lose, after all. The battle of the free-spending Canadians ended with a thud when the Canucks did what they had continually said they would, and matched the offer. Suddenly, a Canadian team in a mid-sized market was faced with what very well might be the NHL's highest payroll in 1997-98. Who do the Canucks think they are... the St. Louis Blues?
The Blues were the team most likely to try to buy a Stanley Cup through the first part of the 1990s, when free agents for the first time became difficult, but not impossible, to obtain. Under the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement, the Blues created a furor in 1990 by signing promising young defenseman Scott Stevens away from the Washington Capitals. The price for such a player, at the time, was five first-round draft choices, which the Blues gladly surrendered, confident that they were that much closer to a real run at the Stanley Cup dream. It worked, too. In 1990-91, the Blues vaulted from 83 to 105 points on the strength of great seasons from Stevens, Adam Oates, and Brett Hull, who scored a career-high 86 goals.
The following summer, the Blues figured they'd pull the same routine again, this time on a promising young left winger, New Jersey's Brendan Shanahan. Since their draft picks had already been used up in the Stevens deal, the case went to arbitration to determine equitable compensation for the Devils. Surprise - New Jersey is awarded Scott Stevens! The Blues begin their slide back to mediocrity, while in 1995 Stevens helps lead New Jersey to their first-ever Stanley Cup. That same summer, the Blues decide to ship Shanahan and his salary off to Hartford for young defenseman Chris Pronger. Shanahan eventually moves on to Detroit and picks up a Stanley Cup ring of his own, while St. Louis continues to search for answers.
So was Blues GM Ron "The Professor" Caron the man who started the free-agent insanity? Certainly, he was never afraid to buck the system or pull the trigger on a big deal. Or was the true culprit Bruce "The Criminal" McNall - currently serving time in a California minimum security institution after pleading guilty to bank fraud? Did the NHL lose its innocence on August 9, 1988 - the day Peter Pocklington turned his back on all that was pure and innocent and Canadian, and traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings?
That was nine years ago, but many of us remember Gretzky's press conference like it was yesterday. Hot on the heels of his fairy-tale wedding to actress Janet Jones, Gretzky had truly "gone Hollywood", but appeared none too pleased about it. Over the years, though, Wayne grew into his role as "ambassador of hockey", and the league's profile did change. The NHL was no longer a family - now it was a business just like another other major professional sports league.
The business of entertainment has changed drastically in North America in the past ten to twenty years. When you look at the changes in the fabric of the NHL, look also at the new Tennessee Oilers in the NFL, at the ongoing labor tension in commissioner-free Major League Baseball, at the price of broadcast rights for upcoming Olympic Games, at James Cameron's $200 million feature-film epic "Titanic" which is due this Christmas, at $1 million per episode for the stars of "Seinfeld", or at $400 tickets to see the Three Tenors in concert. Over and over, the public says "these performers aren't worth that much!" Over and over, the market proves them wrong. If a sports team guesses wrong in its spending choices, it changes ownership, management, or home town. If a concert promoter guesses wrong, someone else is ready to take the gamble the next time the Rolling Stones decide they want to tour. Traditional industry appears to have maxed out in North America - manufacturing, and even consumption, are increasing at a much higher rate in other parts of the world. High-tech is booming, but the entertainment industry is great for financial speculation because it is high-risk, with potentially high return, and because it carries a certain level of glamour and prestige that you can't find working in, say, steel or tobacco.
When you look at the big picture, the NHL is business as usual. North American industrial magnates began to lose their power during the Great Depression, with the advent of workers' rights, while in the six-team NHL as late as the 1950s, one family held control of fully three franchises in one form or another. They determined who played where, and for how much money. Any player who didn't like his working conditions would be shipped out, or black-balled from playing at all.
In the late 1950s, Ted Lindsay began to buck the trend with the superstar Detroit Red Wings. He tried to crack the owners' control by developing a Players' Association, and he had his career ruined for his efforts. The NHL Players' Association finally was formed in 1967 when the league expanded to 12 teams, but owners' crony and player agent Alan Eagleson headed up the organization. By the end of the 1980s, the players had finally gathered enough information and strength to reclaim the right to control their career destinies. In 1990, the NHLPA voted to replace Eagleson with current Association head Bob Goodenow. Meanwhile, NHL President John Ziegler resigned in the summer of 1992 after the players staged a 10-day strike following an entire regular-season playing without a contract. Major issues that spring included licensing and endorsements, free agency, salary arbitration, and pension contributions. By waiting until just before the playoffs to take job action, the players were able to make significant strides - so much so that NHL owners made their own attempt at forcing the issues by locking players out at the beginning of the 1994-95 season, basically in an attempt to introduce a salary cap. The players stood their ground until after Christmas and managed to settle by conceding only a cap for rookies, which still allows for negotiation of major bonuses. Whereas NBA rookies are signed virtually automatically based on their draft position, NHL rookies still carry a ton of leverage, as evidenced by recent holdouts like Chris Phillips, Bryan Berard, and Mattias Ohlund.
The owners whine about the free agency terms that they negotiated and that their GMs use to try to ice a competitive squad; they grouse about the lack of a salary cap. Yet the CBA deal that was signed after the 1994 lockout has been quietly extended into the next millennium - a sign that there must be enough money to go around. Ironically, for all their complaining, the owners rarely mention one of the biggest reasons why NHL salaries have spiraled up in the past few years - salary disclosure.
Within his first two years in office, Bob Goodenow had every NHL player's salary published for public record. That was a far cry from the domineering ownership tactics of the early NHL days, when the players themselves sometimes were not allowed to see their own contract.
In 1996-97, the league's average salary was something just under a million dollars. When Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles in 1988, at the peak of his career, he was making about a million dollars per season. The average NHL salary in 1992-93 was $458,251 US, while the Vancouver Canucks' entire payroll came in under $10 million. Now, that's not even enough to cover the team's top two players.
Granted, there aren't a lot of industries where salaries rise by 250% over a five-year period. But remember - the curve is skewed. A minor-league salary on a two-way contract is still in the $30,000 to $50,000 range, just like it was five years ago. Only by making it to the elite level of the sport's top league can a player capitalize on society's current desire to reward him so handsomely - not just for what he does, but for what he represents.
The explosion is not confined to the NHL. In 1992, Michael Jordan grossed $35.5 million, and over 90% of that money came from endorsements. Last week, Michael Jordan signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, for a sweet $36 million, just to play ball. His "Space Jam" video percentage is extra. Entertainers provide a means of escape from our everyday lives. Athletes show us, time and again, what humans can do when they fine-tune their bodies into virtually perfect working order. Team sports create a sort of community identity at a time when families and neighborhoods are fragmenting, and social institutions like churches and schools are no longer the cultural centerpieces they once were.
That's why Joe Sakic is making $17 million this season. It may seem strange, but it's the only way things can be. Off-season competition for players has become nearly as heated as the on-ice competition for the Stanley Cup. With the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement in place for several more years, there's no reason to think this summer will turn out to be any more memorable than the ones to follow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- LCS Official TV Show: Mr. Show --------------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell Here at LCS: Guide to Hockey, we're always looking to make new friends. After all, you never know where your next batch of bail money is coming from. With that in mind, over the past several months we've announced Carl the Retarded Space Goat as our official mascot, Whitman "Grady" Mayo as our official celebrity spokesperson, and Rupp's as our official hockey equipment supplier. It now gives us great pride to introduce you, our valued readers, to the newest member of the LCS Hockey family... Mr. Show!
Yes, Mr. Show, that riotous, laugh-a-minute sketch comedy program on HBO, is now the official TV show of LCS: Guide to Hockey. If you've never seen Mr. Show, then you, my friend, haven't lived. It's simply the funniest show on television. And that includes old reruns of ALF. High praise, indeed.
Mr. Show is kicking off its third season of zaniness on HBO and it all starts at midnight Friday, September 12. New shows will follow every Friday at midnight, so clear your calendar now.
We can't implore you enough to watch Mr. Show. It is some funny, funny stuff. It's truly something special. So, please, do yourself a favor and watch Mr. Show. Do it for yourself. Do it for us. But most importantly, do it for Timmy, the poor orphan boy who will never have the chance to see such high-quality, cable-based comedy.
|
Timmy |
If you'd like to learn more about Mr. Show, please swing by their web site at www.mrshow.com or visit your local library.
Thank you very much.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT ISSUE: September 15 -- Season Preview ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hockey Pool Stats ------------------------------------------------------------------------ by LCS: Guide to Hockey We went silly with the math this year and expanded on the usual hockey pool stat package. For each forward or defensemen, we list his position, age, height, weight, scoring stats for the past two seasons, career stats, career per game averages, and career per game averages over 82 games. That's a lot. For goaltenders, we list all that personal info (age, height, weight), their stats in each of the past two seasons, and their career stats.
Skaters are ranked according to points over 82 games, with ties being broken first by goals over 82 games, second by career points per game average, and third by career goals per game average. If they're still tied, whoever is coming off the better season got listed higher. Goaltenders are ranked by wins recorded last season. Ties are broken by goal-against average.
We ranked the top 238 forwards, the top 116 defensemen, and the top 60 goaltenders. Those numbers may seem strange, but add them all up and what do you get? 414. It doesn't seem so strange now, does it?
There are a whole bunch of numbers, but when used properly, these stats can be invaluable when selecting your hockey pool teams. If nothing else, the listings will at least give you plenty of names to choose from when searching for someone, anyone, in the late rounds.
- OFFENSE -
Player, Team GP G A Pts +/- Pim PP SH GW
1. (1) - Wayne Gretzky, NYR
C 36/6-0/170
1996-97 stats............ 82 25 72 97 12 28 6 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 80 23 79 102 -13 34 6 1 3
Career stats.............1335 862 1843 2705
Career per game averages. - .65 1.38 2.03
Averages over 82 games... 82 53 113 166
2. (3) - Eric Lindros, Phi.
C 24/6-4/229
1996-97 stats............ 52 32 47 79 31 136 9 0 7
1995-96 stats............ 73 47 68 115 26 163 15 0 4
Career stats............. 297 193 243 436
Career per game averages. - .65 .82 1.47
Averages over 82 games... 82 53 67 121
3. (5) - Teemu Selanne, Ana.
RW 27/6-0/181
1996-97 stats............ 78 51 58 109 28 34 11 1 8
1995-96 stats............ 79 40 68 108 5 22 9 1 5
Career stats............. 337 214 237 451
Career per game averages. - .64 .70 1.34
Averages over 82 games... 82 53 57 110
4. (4) - Steve Yzerman, Det.
C 32/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 81 22 63 85 22 78 8 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 80 36 59 95 29 64 16 2 8
Career stats.............1023 539 801 1340
Career per game averages. - .53 .78 1.31
Averages over 82 games... 82 43 64 107
5. (6) - Peter Forsberg, Col.
C 24/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 65 28 58 86 31 73 5 4 4
1995-96 stats............ 82 30 86 116 26 47 7 3 3
Career stats............. 194 73 179 252
Career per game averages. - .38 .92 1.30
Averages over 82 games... 82 31 75 106
6. (11) - Jaromir Jagr, Pit.
RW 25/6-3/210
1996-97 stats............ 63 47 48 95 22 40 11 2 6
1995-96 stats............ 82 62 87 149 31 96 20 1 12
Career stats............. 504 266 367 633
Career per game averages. - .53 .73 1.26
Averages over 82 games... 82 43 60 103
7. (7) - Brett Hull, StL.
RW 33/5-10/200
1996-97 stats............ 77 42 40 82 -9 10 12 2 6
1995-96 stats............ 70 43 40 83 4 30 16 5 6
Career stats............. 735 527 388 915
Career per game averages. - .72 .53 1.25
Averages over 82 games... 82 59 44 103
8. (8) - Joe Sakic, Col.
C 28/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 65 22 52 74 -10 34 10 2 5
1995-96 stats............ 82 51 69 120 14 44 17 6 7
Career stats............. 655 307 513 820
Career per game averages. - .47 .78 1.25
Averages over 82 games... 82 39 64 103
9. (23) - Paul Kariya, Ana.
LW 23/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 69 44 55 99 36 6 15 3 10
1995-96 stats............ 82 50 58 108 9 20 20 3 9
Career stats............. 198 112 134 246
Career per game averages. - .57 .68 1.24
Averages over 82 games... 82 47 56 103
10. (13) - Mark Messier, Van.
C 37/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 71 36 48 84 12 88 7 5 9
1995-96 stats............ 74 47 52 99 29 122 14 1 5
Career stats.............1272 575 977 1552
Career per game averages. - .45 .77 1.22
Averages over 82 games... 82 37 63 100
11. (9) - Adam Oates, Was.
C 35/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 80 22 60 82 -5 14 3 2 5
1995-96 stats............ 70 25 67 92 16 18 7 1 2
Career stats............. 826 258 738 996
Career per game averages. - .31 .89 1.20
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 73 98
12. (17) - Pat LaFontaine, Buf.
C 32/5-10/177
1996-97 stats............ 13 2 6 8 -8 4 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 76 40 51 91 -8 36 15 3 7
Career stats............. 798 445 506 951
Career per game averages. - .56 .63 1.19
Averages over 82 games... 82 46 52 98
13. (14) - Dale Hawerchuk, Phi. [RETIRED]
C 34/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 51 12 22 34 9 32 6 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 17 44 61 15 26 6 0 2
Career stats.............1188 518 891 1409
Career per game averages. - .44 .75 1.19
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 62 98
14. (12) - Sergei Fedorov, Det.
C 27/6-1/191
1996-97 stats............ 74 30 33 63 29 30 9 2 4
1995-96 stats............ 78 39 68 107 49 48 11 3 11
Career stats............. 506 242 350 592
Career per game averages. - .48 .69 1.17
Averages over 82 games... 82 39 57 96
15. (16) - Luc Robitaille, L.A.
LW 31/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 69 24 24 48 16 48 5 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 77 23 46 69 13 80 11 0 4
Career stats............. 832 462 500 962
Career per game averages. - .56 .60 1.16
Averages over 82 games... 82 46 49 95
16. (15) - Alexander Mogilny, Van.
RW 28/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 76 31 42 73 9 18 7 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 79 55 52 107 14 16 10 5 6
Career stats............. 536 297 327 624
Career per game averages. - .55 .61 1.16
Averages over 82 games... 82 45 50 95
17. (10) - Jari Kurri, Col.
RW 37/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 82 13 22 35 -13 12 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 71 18 27 45 -16 39 5 1 0
Career stats.............1181 596 780 1376
Career per game averages. - .50 .66 1.16
Averages over 82 games... 82 41 54 95
18. (22) - Ron Francis, Pit.
C 34/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 81 27 63 90 7 20 10 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 77 27 92 119 25 56 12 1 4
Career stats.............1166 403 944 1347
Career per game averages. - .35 .81 1.16
Averages over 82 games... 82 29 66 95
19. (19) - Pierre Turgeon, StL.
C 28/6-1/203
1996-97 stats............ 78 26 59 85 8 14 5 0 7
1995-96 stats............ 80 38 58 96 19 44 17 1 6
Career stats............. 750 344 520 864
Career per game averages. - .46 .69 1.15
Averages over 82 games... 82 38 57 95
20. (20) - Mark Recchi, Mon.
RW 29/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 82 34 46 80 -1 58 7 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 82 28 50 78 20 69 11 2 6
Career stats............. 628 285 430 715
Career per game averages. - .45 .68 1.14
Averages over 82 games... 82 37 56 93
21. (18) - Pavel Bure, Van.
RW 26/5-10/189
1996-97 stats............ 63 23 32 55 -14 40 4 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 15 6 7 13 -2 8 1 1 0
Career stats............. 346 203 185 388
Career per game averages. - .59 .53 1.12
Averages over 82 games... 82 48 44 92
22. (24) - Jeremy Roenick, Pho.
C 27/6-0/170
1996-97 stats............ 72 29 40 69 -7 115 10 3 7
1995-96 stats............ 66 32 35 67 9 109 12 4 2
Career stats............. 596 296 369 665
Career per game averages. - .50 .62 1.12
Averages over 82 games... 82 41 51 92
23. (25) - Bernie Nicholls, S.J.
C 36/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 65 12 33 45 -21 63 2 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 59 19 41 60 11 60 6 0 2
Career stats.............1057 469 710 1179
Career per game averages. - .44 .67 1.12
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 55 91
24. (26) - Alexei Zhamnov, Chi.
C 27/6-1/187
1996-97 stats............ 74 20 42 62 18 56 6 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 58 22 37 59 -4 65 5 0 2
Career stats............. 309 123 206 329
Career per game averages. - .40 .67 1.06
Averages over 82 games... 82 33 55 88
25. (33) - Mats Sundin, Tor.
C/RW 26/6-4/204
1996-97 stats............ 82 41 53 94 6 59 7 4 8
1995-96 stats............ 76 33 50 83 8 46 7 6 7
Career stats............. 529 232 326 558
Career per game averages. - .44 .62 1.06
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 51 87
26. (30) - Doug Gilmour, N.J.
C 34/5-11/172
1996-97 stats............ 81 22 60 82 2 68 4 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 81 32 40 72 -5 77 10 2 3
Career stats.............1062 368 755 1123
Career per game stats.... - .35 .71 1.06
Averages over 82 games... 82 29 58 87
27. (28) - Theo Fleury, Cal.
RW 29/5-6/160
1996-97 stats............ 81 29 38 67 -12 104 9 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 80 46 50 96 17 112 17 5 4
Career stats............. 649 307 376 683
Career per game averages. - .47 .58 1.05
Averages over 82 games... 82 39 48 87
28. (27) - Craig Janney, Pho.
C 30/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 77 15 38 53 -1 26 5 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 84 20 62 82 -33 26 7 0 2
Career stats............. 636 173 498 671
Career per game averages. - .27 .78 1.05
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 64 86
29. (32) - Mike Modano, Dal.
C 27/6-3/190
1996-97 stats............ 80 35 48 83 43 42 9 5 9
1995-96 stats............ 78 36 45 81 -12 63 8 4 4
Career stats............. 581 256 339 595
Career per game averages. - .44 .58 1.02
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 48 84
30. (29) - Kevin Stevens, NYR
LW 32/6-3/217
1996-97 stats............ 69 14 20 34 -27 96 4 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 61 13 23 36 -10 71 6 0 1
Career stats............. 588 278 319 597
Career per game averages. - .47 .54 1.02
Averages over 82 games... 82 39 44 83
31. (34) - Joe Nieuwendyk, Dal.
C 31/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 66 30 21 51 -5 32 8 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 52 14 18 32 -17 41 8 0 3
Career stats............. 695 358 341 699
Career per game averages. - .52 .49 1.01
Averages over 82 games... 82 43 40 83
32. (37) - Dino Ciccarelli, T.B.
RW 37/5-10/175
1996-97 stats............ 77 35 25 60 -11 116 12 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 64 22 21 43 14 99 13 0 5
Career stats.............1156 586 574 1160
Career per game averages. - .51 .50 1.00
Averages over 82 games... 82 42 41 83
33. (31) - Joe Juneau, Was.
C 29/6-0/196
1996-97 stats............ 58 15 27 42 -11 8 9 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 80 14 50 64 -3 30 7 2 2
Career stats............. 354 90 265 355
Career per game averages. - .25 .75 1.00
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 62 83
34. (39) - Dave Andreychuk, N.J.
LW 34/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 34 61 38 48 4 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 28 29 57 -9 64 14 2 3
Career stats.............1083 503 561 1064
Career per game averages. - .46 .52 .98
Averages over 82 games... 82 38 43 81
35. (60) - Zigmund Palffy, NYI
LW 25/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 80 48 42 90 21 43 6 4 6
1995-96 stats............ 81 43 44 87 -17 56 17 1 6
Career stats............. 199 101 93 194
Career per game averages. - .51 .47 .98
Averages over 82 games... 82 42 38 80
36. (40) - Tomas Sandstrom, Ana.
RW 33/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 74 18 24 42 6 69 1 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 58 35 35 70 4 69 17 1 2
Career stats............. 848 378 437 817
Career per game averages. - .45 .52 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 37 43 80
37. (46) - Keith Tkachuk, Pho.
LW 25/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 81 52 34 86 -1 228 9 2 7
1995-96 stats............ 76 50 48 98 11 156 20 2 6
Career stats............. 389 196 179 375
Career per game averages. - .50 .46 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 41 38 79
38. (44) - Brendan Shanahan, Det.
LW 28/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 81 47 41 88 32 131 20 3 7
1995-96 stats............ 74 44 34 78 2 125 17 2 6
Career stats............. 713 335 351 686
Career per game averages. - .47 .49 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 39 40 79
39. (45) - Vincent Damphousse, Mon.
LW/C 29/6-1/192
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 54 81 -6 82 7 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 80 38 56 94 5 158 11 4 3
Career stats............. 852 310 511 821
Career per game averages. - .36 .60 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 49 79
40. (66) - Doug Weight, Edm.
C 26/5-11/191
1996-97 stats............ 80 21 61 82 1 80 4 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 25 79 104 -19 95 9 0 2
Career stats............. 395 102 276 378
Career per game averages. - .26 .70 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 57 78
41. (41) - Mike Gartner, Pho.
RW 38/6-0/187
1996-97 stats............ 82 32 31 63 -11 38 13 1 7
1995-96 stats............ 82 35 19 54 5 52 15 0 4
Career stats.............1372 696 612 1308
Career per game averages. - .51 .44 .95
Averages over 82 games... 82 42 36 78
42. (47) - Valeri Kamensky, Col.
LW 31/6-2/198
1996-97 stats............ 68 28 38 66 5 38 8 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 81 38 47 85 14 85 18 1 5
Career stats............. 320 126 178 304
Career per game averages. - .39 .56 .95
Averages over 82 games... 82 32 46 78
43. (38) - Mikael Renberg, S.J.
RW 25/6-1/218
1996-97 stats............ 77 22 37 59 36 65 1 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 51 23 20 43 8 45 9 0 4
Career stats............. 258 109 135 241
Career per game averages. - .42 .52 .93
Averages over 82 games... 82 34 43 76
44. (48) - Rick Tocchet, Pho.
RW 33/6-0/205
1996-97 stats............ 53 21 19 40 -3 98 4 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 71 29 31 60 10 181 10 0 3
Career stats............. 841 359 417 776
Career per game averages. - .43 .50 .92
Averages over 82 games... 82 35 41 76
45. (52) - Alexei Yashin, Ott.
C 24/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 82 35 40 75 -7 44 10 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 46 15 24 39 -15 28 8 0 1
Career stats............. 258 101 136 237
Career per game averages. - .39 .53 .92
Averages over 82 games... 82 32 43 75
46. (49) - Rod Brind'Amour, Phi.
C 27/6-1/198
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 32 59 2 41 8 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 82 26 61 87 20 110 4 4 5
Career stats............. 614 213 342 555
Career per game averages. - .35 .56 .90
Averages over 82 games... 82 29 46 75
47. (51) - Brian Bellows, Ana.
LW 33/5-11/209
1996-97 stats............ 69 16 15 31 -15 22 8 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 79 23 26 49 -14 39 13 0 4
Career stats.............1101 462 515 977
Career per game averages. - .42 .47 .89
Averages over 82 games... 82 34 39 73
48. (55) - John Cullen, T.B.
C 33/5-10/187
1996-97 stats............ 70 18 37 55 -14 95 5 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 16 34 50 1 65 8 0 3
Career stats............. 617 187 363 550
Career per game averages. - .30 .59 .89
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 48 73
49. (61) - Peter Bondra, Was.
RW 29/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 77 46 31 77 7 72 10 4 3
1995-96 stats............ 67 52 28 80 18 40 11 4 7
Career stats............. 468 233 179 412
Career per game averages. - .50 .38 .88
Averages over 82 games... 82 41 31 72
50. (56) - Jason Arnott, Edm.
C 23/6-3/200
1996-97 stats............ 67 19 38 57 -21 92 10 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 64 28 31 59 -6 87 8 0 5
Career stats............. 251 95 126 221
Career per game averages. - .38 .50 .88
Averages over 82 games... 82 31 41 72
51. (54) - Kirk Muller, Flo.
C/LW 31/6-0/205
1996-97 stats............ 76 21 19 40 -25 89 10 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 51 13 19 32 -13 57 7 0 1
Career stats............. 962 326 521 847
Career per game averages. - .34 .54 .88
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 44 72
52. (57) - Mike Ridley, Van.
C 34/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 75 20 32 52 0 42 3 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 37 6 15 21 -3 29 2 0 1
Career stats............. 866 292 466 758
Career per game averages. - .34 .54 .88
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 44 72
53. (61) - Ray Sheppard, Flo.
RW 31/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 68 29 31 60 4 4 13 0 7
1995-96 stats............ 70 37 23 60 -19 16 14 0 7
Career stats............. 625 304 238 542
Career per game averages. - .49 .38 .87
Averages over 82 games... 82 40 31 71
54. (62) - Gary Roberts, Car.
LW 31/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ DID NOT PLAY
1995-96 stats............ 35 22 20 42 15 78 9 0 5
Career stats............. 585 257 248 505
Career per game averages. - .44 .42 .86
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 34 70
55. (93) - John LeClair, Phi.
LW 28/6-2/220
1996-97 stats............ 82 50 47 97 44 58 10 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 82 51 46 97 21 64 19 0 10
Career stats............. 425 175 186 361
Career per game averages. - .41 .44 .85
Averages over 82 games... 82 34 36 70
56. (58) - Robert Reichel, NYI
C 26/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 82 21 41 62 5 26 6 1 3
1995-96 stats............ PLAYED IN GERMANY
Career stats............. 437 158 215 373
Career per game averages. - .36 .49 .85
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 40 70
57. (70) - Owen Nolan, S.J.
RW 25/6-1/201
1996-97 stats............ 72 31 32 63 -19 155 10 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 33 36 69 -33 146 16 1 2
Career stats............. 412 177 171 348
Career per game averages. - .43 .42 .85
Averages over 82 games... 82 35 34 69
58. (68) - Steve Thomas, N.J.
LW 34/5-11/184
1996-97 stats............ 57 15 19 34 9 46 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 26 35 61 -2 98 6 0 6
Career stats............. 805 310 362 672
Career per game averages. - .39 .45 .84
Averages over 82 games... 82 32 37 69
59. (63) - Ed Olczyk, Pit.
C 31/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 79 25 30 55 -14 51 5 1 6
1995-96 stats............ 51 27 22 49 0 65 16 0 1
Career stats............. 881 319 424 743
Career per game averages. - .36 .48 .84
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 39 69
60. (105) - Daniel Alfredsson, Ott.
RW 25/5-11/194
1996-97 stats............ 76 24 47 71 5 30 11 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 26 35 61 -18 28 8 2 3
Career stats............. 158 50 82 132
Career per game averages. - .32 .52 .84
Averages over 82 games... 82 26 43 69
61. (69) - Neal Broten, Dal.
C 37/5-9/174
1996-97 stats............ 42 8 12 20 -4 12 1 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 55 7 16 23 -3 14 1 1 1
Career stats.............1099 289 634 923
Career per game averages. - .26 .58 .84
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 48 69
62. (67) - Stephane Richer, Mon.
RW 31/6-2/215
1996-97 stats............ 63 22 24 46 0 32 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 73 20 12 32 -8 30 3 4 3
Career stats............. 826 366 326 692
Career per game averages. - .44 .39 .84
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 32 68
63. (72) - Trevor Linden, Van.
C 27/6-4/210
1996-97 stats............ 49 9 31 40 5 27 2 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 33 47 80 6 42 12 1 2
Career stats............. 660 240 308 548
Career per game averages. - .36 .47 .83
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 38 68
64. (73) - Cliff Ronning, Pho.
C 32/5-8/165
1996-97 stats............ 69 19 32 51 -9 26 8 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 79 22 45 67 16 42 5 0 1
Career stats............. 615 185 318 504
Career per game averages. - .30 .52 .82
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 43 68
65. (71) - Pat Verbeek, Dal.
RW 33/5-9/190
1996-97 stats............ 81 17 36 53 3 128 5 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 69 41 41 82 29 129 17 0 6
Career stats.............1065 430 444 874
Career per game averages. - .40 .42 .82
Averages over 82 games... 82 33 34 67
66. (75) - Dave Gagner, Flo.
C 32/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 33 60 2 48 9 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 73 21 28 49 -19 103 7 0 3
Career stats............. 799 292 351 643
Career per game averages. - .37 .44 .81
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 36 66
67. (77) - Geoff Sanderson, Car.
LW 25/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 82 36 31 67 -9 29 12 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 81 34 31 65 0 40 6 0 7
Career stats............. 439 189 163 352
Career per game averages. - .43 .37 .80
Averages over 82 games... 82 35 30 65
68. (95) - Tony Amonte, Chi.
RW 27/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 81 41 36 77 35 64 9 2 4
1995-96 stats............ 81 31 32 63 10 62 5 4 5
Career stats............. 451 172 190 362
Career per game averages. - .38 .42 .80
Averages over 82 games... 82 31 34 65
69. (79) - Dimitri Khristich, Bos.
LW 28/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 75 19 37 56 8 38 3 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 27 37 64 0 44 12 0 3
Career stats............. 466 167 203 370
Career per game averages. - .36 .43 .79
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 35 65
70. (84) - Igor Larionov, Det.
C 36/5-9/170
1996-97 stats............ 64 12 42 54 31 26 2 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 73 22 51 73 31 34 10 1 5
Career stats............. 440 107 243 350
Career per game averages. - .24 .55 .79
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 45 65
71. (78) - Kevin Dineen, Car.
RW 34/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 78 19 29 48 -6 141 8 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 46 2 9 11 -1 117 0 0 0
Career stats............. 871 323 356 679
Career per game averages. - .37 .41 .78
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 34 64
72. (82) - Derek King, Tor.
LW 30/6-1/212
1996-97 stats............ 82 26 33 59 -6 22 6 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 61 12 20 32 -10 23 5 1 0
Career stats............. 650 214 291 505
Career per game averages. - .33 .45 .78
Average over 82 games.... 82 27 37 64
73. (89) - Brian Bradley, T.B.
C 32/5-10/180
1996-97 stats............ 35 7 17 24 2 16 1 2 1
1995-96 stats............ 75 23 56 79 -11 77 9 0 5
Career stats............. 637 180 316 496
Career per game averages. - .28 .50 .78
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 41 64
74. (85) - Dale Hunter, Was.
C 37/5-10/200
1996-97 stats............ 82 14 32 46 -2 125 3 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 82 13 24 37 5 112 4 0 3
Career stats.............1263 313 670 983
Career per game averages. - .25 .53 .78
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 43 64
75. (83) - Russ Courtnall, NYR
RW 32/5-11/195
1996-97 stats............ 61 11 24 35 1 26 2 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 26 39 65 25 40 6 4 4
Career stats............. 914 279 428 707
Career per game averages. - .31 .47 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 39 64
76. (91) - Wendel Clark, Tor.
LW 31/5-10/194
1996-97 stats............ 65 30 19 49 -2 75 6 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 71 32 26 58 -5 76 8 0 3
Career stats............. 636 282 209 491
Career per game averages. - .44 .33 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 36 27 63
77. (94) - Geoff Courtnall, StL.
LW 35/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 82 17 40 57 3 86 4 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 69 24 16 40 -9 101 7 1 1
Career stats............. 939 329 392 721
Career per game averages. - .35 .42 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 29 34 63
78. (*) - Brent Sutter, Chi.
C 35/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............ 39 7 7 14 10 18 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 80 13 27 40 14 56 0 0 3
Career stats.............1059 361 460 821
Career per game averages. - .34 .43 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 35 63
79. (76) - Nelson Emerson, Car.
C 30/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 66 9 29 38 -21 34 2 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 29 29 58 -7 78 12 2 5
Career stats............. 443 130 212 342
Career per game averages. - .29 .48 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 39 63
80. (86) - Michal Pivonka, Was.
C 31/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 54 7 16 23 -15 22 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 73 16 65 81 18 36 6 2 5
Career stats............. 756 173 406 579
Career per game averages. - .23 .54 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 44 63
81. (88) - Ray Ferraro, L.A.
C 33/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 81 25 21 46 -22 112 11 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 29 31 60 0 92 9 0 4
Career stats............. 915 327 368 695
Career per game averages. - .36 .40 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 33 63
82. (109) - Petr Nedved, Pit.
C 26/6-3/195
1996-97 stats............ 74 33 38 71 -2 66 12 3 4
1995-96 stats............ 80 45 54 99 37 68 8 1 5
Career stats............. 441 158 179 337
Career per game averages. - .36 .40 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 33 63
83. (74) - Vyacheslav Kozlov, Det.
LW 25/5-10/180
1996-97 stats............ 75 23 22 45 21 46 3 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 82 36 37 73 33 70 9 0 7
Career stats............. 304 110 121 231
Career per game averages. - .36 .40 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 33 63
84. (80) - Esa Tikkanen, NYR
LW he's old/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 76 13 17 30 -9 72 4 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 58 14 30 44 1 36 8 1 2
Career stats............. 797 241 365 606
Career per game averages. - .30 .46 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 38 63
85. (92) - John MacLean, N.J.
RW 32/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 80 29 25 54 11 49 5 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 76 20 28 48 3 91 3 3 3
Career stats............. 908 344 346 690
Career per game averages. - .38 .38 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 31 31 62
86. (81) - Tony Granato, S.J.
LW 33/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 76 25 15 40 -7 159 5 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 49 17 18 35 -5 46 5 0 1
Career stats............. 571 216 217 433
Career per game averages. - .38 .38 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 31 31 62
87. (159) - Saku Koivu, Mon.
LW 23/5-9/180
1996-97 stats............ 50 17 39 56 7 38 5 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 82 20 25 45 -7 40 8 3 2
Career stats............. 132 37 64 101
Career per game averages. - .28 .48 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 39 62
88. (103) - Andrew Cassels, S.J.
C 28/6-0/192
1996-97 stats............ 81 22 44 66 -16 46 8 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 20 43 63 8 39 6 0 1
Career stats............. 498 105 272 377
Career per game averages. - .21 .55 .76
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 45 62
89. (100) - Greg Adams, Dal.
LW 34/6-3/195
1996-97 stats............ 50 21 15 36 27 2 5 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 66 22 21 43 -21 33 11 1 1
Career stats............. 803 292 307 599
Career per game averages. - .36 .38 .75
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 31 61
90. (90) - Murray Craven, S.J.
LW 33/6-2/185
1996-97 stats............ 75 8 27 35 0 12 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 66 18 29 47 20 36 5 1 7
Career stats............. 945 250 464 714
Career per game averages. - .26 .49 .75
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 40 61
91. (98) - Petr Klima, Edm.
LW 33/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 33 2 12 14 -12 12 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 67 22 30 52 -25 68 8 0 3
Career stats............. 773 312 260 572
Career per game averages. - .40 .34 .74
Averages over 82 games... 82 33 28 61
92. (102) - Todd Elik, Bos.
C 31/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 31 4 12 16 -12 16 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 59 13 33 46 2 40 6 0 2
Career stats............. 448 110 219 329
Career per game averages. - .25 .49 .74
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 40 61
93. (96) - Benoit Hogue, Dal.
LW 31/5-10/195
1996-97 stats............ 73 19 24 43 8 54 5 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 78 19 45 64 10 104 5 0 5
Career stats............. 617 191 263 454
Career per game averages. - .31 .43 .74
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 35 60
94. (97) - Donald Audette, Buf.
RW 28/5-8/175
1996-97 stats............ 73 28 22 50 -6 48 8 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 23 12 13 25 0 18 8 0 1
Career stats............. 334 140 105 245
Career per game averages. - .42 .31 .73
Averages over 82 games... 82 34 26 60
95. (115) - Bryan Smolinski, NYI
C 25/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 64 28 28 56 8 25 9 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 81 24 40 64 6 69 8 2 1
Career stats............. 281 102 104 206
Career per game averages. - .36 .37 .73
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 30 60
96. (99) - Darren Turcotte, StL.
C 29/6-0/178
1996-97 stats............ 65 16 21 37 -8 16 3 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 68 22 21 43 5 30 2 1 4
Career stats............. 524 179 204 383
Career per game averages. - .34 .39 .73
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 32 60
97. (107) - Claude Lemieux, Col.
RW 32/6-1/215
1996-97 stats............ 45 11 17 28 -4 43 5 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 79 39 32 71 14 117 9 2 10
Career stats............. 758 272 275 547
Career per game averages. - .36 .36 .72
Averages over 82 games... 82 30 30 60
98. (113) - Andrei Kovalenko, Edm.
RW 27/5-10/200
1996-97 stats............ 74 32 27 59 -5 81 14 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 77 28 28 56 20 49 6 0 6
Career stats............. 335 117 123 240
Career per game averages. - .35 .37 .72
Averages over 82 games... 82 29 30 59
99. (106) - Peter Zezel, N.J.
C 32/5-11/200
1996-97 stats............ 53 4 12 16 10 16 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 57 8 13 21 -2 12 2 0 1
Career stats............. 802 208 366 574
Career per game averages. - .26 .46 .72
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 38 59
100. (*) - Joe Murphy, StL.
RW 30/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 75 20 25 45 -1 69 4 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 70 22 29 51 -3 86 8 0 3
Career stats............. 597 186 239 425
Career per game averages. - .31 .40 .71
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 33 58
101. (117) - Martin Rucinsky, Mon.
LW 26/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 70 28 27 55 1 62 6 3 3
1995-96 stats............ 78 29 46 75 18 68 9 2 4
Career stats............. 311 88 133 221
Career per game averages. - .28 .43 .71
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 35 58
102. (108) - Ulf Dahlen, Chi.
LW 30/6-4/195
1996-97 stats............ 73 14 19 33 -2 18 4 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 59 16 12 28 -21 27 5 0 2
Career stats............. 686 231 249 480
Career per game averages. - .34 .36 .70
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 30 58
103. (111) - Scott Young, Col.
RW 30/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 72 18 19 37 -5 14 7 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 81 21 39 60 2 50 7 0 5
Career stats............. 599 173 239 412
Career per game averages. - .29 .40 .69
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 33 57
104. (151) - Steve Rucchin, Ana.
C 26/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 79 19 48 67 26 24 6 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 64 19 25 44 3 35 8 1 4
Career stats............. 186 44 84 128
Career per game averages. - .24 .45 .69
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 37 57
105. (110) - German Titov, Cal.
C 32/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 79 22 30 52 -12 36 12 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 82 28 39 67 9 24 13 2 2
Career stats............. 277 89 99 188
Career per game averages. - .32 .36 .68
Averages over 82 games... 82 26 30 56
106. (123) - Alexei Kovalev, NYR
RW 24/6-0/210
1996-97 stats............ 45 13 22 35 11 42 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 81 24 34 58 5 98 8 1 7
Career stats............. 315 93 122 215
Career per game averages. - .29 .39 .68
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 32 56
107. (114) - Paul Ysebaert, T.B.
LW 31/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 39 5 12 17 1 4 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 55 16 15 31 -19 16 4 1 1
Career stats............. 440 136 159 295
Career per game averages. - .31 .36 .67
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 30 55
108. (112) - Mike Ricci, Col.
C 26/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 63 13 19 32 -3 59 5 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 62 6 21 27 1 52 3 0 1
Career stats............. 479 132 189 321
Career per game averages. - .28 .39 .67
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 32 55
109. (*) - Steve Sullivan, Tor. [ROOKIE]
C 23/5-9/155
1996-97 stats............ 54 13 25 38 14 37 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 16 5 4 9 3 8 2 0 1
Career stats............. 70 18 29 47
Career per game averages. - .26 .41 .67
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 34 55
110. (*) - Bobby Carpenter, N.J.
C 34/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 62 4 15 19 6 14 0 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 52 5 5 10 -10 14 0 1 0
Career stats.............1056 309 391 700
Career per game averages. - .29 .37 .66
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 30 54
111. (121) - Shayne Corson, Mon.
LW 31/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 58 8 16 24 -9 104 3 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 77 18 28 46 3 192 13 0 0
Career stats............. 747 200 294 494
Career per game averages. - .27 .39 .66
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 32 54
112. (125) - Derek Plante, Buf.
C 26/5-11/160
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 26 53 14 24 5 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 76 23 33 56 -4 28 4 0 5
Career stats............ 282 74 113 187
Career per game averages. - .26 .40 .66
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 33 54
113. (125) - Randy Burridge, Buf.
LW 31/5-9/185
1996-97 stats............ 55 10 21 31 17 20 1 3 0
1995-96 stats............ 74 25 33 58 0 30 6 0 3
Career stats............. 676 195 245 440
Career per game averages. - .29 .36 .65
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 30 54
114. (119) - Patrick Flatley, NYR
RW 34/6-2/205
1996-97 stats............ 68 10 12 22 6 26 0 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 56 8 9 17 -24 21 0 0 0
Career stats............. 780 170 340 510
Career per game averages. - .22 .43 .65
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 35 53
115. (132) - Keith Primeau, Car.
C 26/6-4/210
1996-97 stats............ 75 26 25 51 -3 161 6 3 2
1995-96 stats............ 74 27 25 52 19 168 6 2 7
Career stats............. 438 123 158 281
Career per game averages. - .28 .36 .64
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 30 53
116. (158) - Jeff Friesen, S.J.
LW 21/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 28 34 62 -8 75 6 2 5
1995-96 stats............ 79 15 31 46 -19 42 2 0 0
Career stats............. 209 58 75 133
Career per game averages. - .28 .36 .64
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 30 53
117. (176) - Josef Stumpel, L.A.
RW 25/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 78 21 55 76 -22 14 6 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 76 18 36 54 -8 14 5 0 2
Career stats............. 274 54 122 176
Career per game averages. - .20 .44 .64
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 36 52
118. (136) - Johan Garpenlov, Flo.
LW 30/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 53 11 25 36 10 47 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 23 28 51 -10 36 8 0 7
Career stats............. 433 102 171 273
Career per game averages. - .24 .39 .63
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 32 52
119. (152) - Travis Green, NYI
C 27/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 79 23 41 64 -5 38 10 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 69 24 45 69 -21 42 14 1 2
Career stats............. 334 78 133 211
Career per game averages. - .23 .40 .63
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 33 52
120. (127) - Eric Daze, Chi.
LW 22/6-4/202
1996-97 stats............ 71 22 19 41 -4 16 11 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 80 30 23 53 16 60 6 0 2
Career stats............. 155 53 43 96
Career per game averages. - .34 .28 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 23 51
121. (124) - Pat Falloon, Phi.
RW 25/5-11/200
1996-97 stats............ 52 11 12 23 -8 10 2 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 71 25 26 51 14 10 9 0 2
Career stats............. 372 109 124 233
Career per game averages. - .29 .33 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 27 51
122. (137) - Scott Mellanby, Flo.
RW 31/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 82 27 29 56 7 170 9 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 79 32 38 70 4 160 19 0 3
Career stats............. 793 223 267 490
Career per game averages. - .28 .34 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 28 51
123. (124) - Corey Millen, Cal.
C 33/5-7/170
1996-97 stats............ 61 11 15 26 -19 32 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 44 7 14 21 8 18 2 0 1
Career stats............. 335 90 119 209
Career per game averages. - .27 .35 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 29 51
124. (140) - Adam Graves, NYR
LW 29/6-0/207
1996-97 stats............ 82 33 28 61 10 66 10 4 3
1995-96 stats............ 82 22 36 58 18 100 9 1 2
Career stats............. 676 209 204 413
Career per game averages. - .31 .30 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 25 50
125. (166) - Adam Deadmarsh, Col.
C 22/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 78 33 27 60 8 136 10 3 4
1995-96 stats............ 78 21 27 48 20 142 3 0 2
Career stats............. 204 63 62 125
Career per game averages. - .31 .30 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 25 50
126. (*) - Jarome Iginla, Cal. [ROOKIE]
RW 20/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 82 21 29 50 -4 37 8 1 3
Career stats............. 82 21 29 50
Career per game averages. - .26 .35 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 29 50
127. (134) - Valeri Zelepukin, N.J.
RW 29/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 71 14 24 38 -10 36 3 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 61 6 9 15 -10 107 3 0 1
Career stats............. 340 83 125 208
Career per game averages. - .24 .37 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 30 50
128. (138) - Dallas Drake, Pho.
C 28/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............ 63 17 19 36 -11 52 5 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 69 19 20 39 -7 36 4 4 2
Career stats............. 309 75 110 185
Career per game averages. - .24 .36 .60
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 30 50
129. (150) - Mariusz Czerkawski, NYI
RW 25/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 76 26 21 47 0 16 4 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 70 17 23 40 -4 18 3 0 1
Career stats............. 197 57 59 116
Career per game averages. - .29 .30 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 25 49
130. (*) - Marty McInnis, Cal.
LW 27/6-0/183
1996-97 stats............ 80 23 26 49 -8 22 5 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 74 12 34 46 -11 39 2 0 1
Career stats............. 349 82 123 205
Career per game averages. - .24 .35 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 29 49
131. (182) - Jere Lehtinen, Dal.
RW 24/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 63 16 27 43 26 2 3 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 57 6 22 28 5 16 0 0 1
Career stats............. 120 22 49 71
Career per game averages. - .18 .41 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 34 49
132. (135) - Shawn McEachern, Ott.
C/RW 28/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 65 11 20 31 -5 18 0 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 24 29 53 -5 34 3 2 3
Career stats............. 366 96 121 217
Career per game averages. - .26 .33 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 27 48
133. (146) - Stu Barnes, Pit.
C 27/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 81 19 30 49 -23 26 5 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 72 19 25 44 -12 46 8 0 5
Career stats............. 355 91 117 208
Career per game averages. - .26 .33 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 27 48
134. (148) - Alexandre Daigle, Ott.
C 22/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 82 26 25 51 -33 33 4 0 5
1995-96 stats............ 50 5 12 17 -30 24 1 0 0
Career stats............. 263 67 89 156
Career per game averages. - .25 .34 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 28 48
135. (126) - Vitali Yachmenev, L.A.
RW 22/5-9/180
1996-97 stats............ 65 10 22 32 -9 10 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 80 19 34 53 -3 16 6 1 2
Career stats............. 145 29 56 85
Career per game averages. - .20 .39 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 32 48
136. (181) - Chris Gratton, Phi.
C 22/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 82 30 32 62 -28 201 9 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 82 17 21 38 -13 105 7 0 3
Career stats............. 294 67 102 169
Career per game averages. - .23 .35 .58
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 29 48
137. (190) - Brian Savage, Mon.
C 26/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 81 23 37 60 -14 39 5 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 75 25 8 33 -8 28 4 0 4
Career stats............. 196 61 52 113
Career per game averages. - .31 .27 .58
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 22 47
138. (139) - Kevin Miller, Chi.
LW 32/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 69 14 17 31 -10 41 5 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 28 25 53 -4 45 3 2 2
Career stats............. 537 142 169 311
Career per game averages. - .26 .32 .58
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 26 47
139. (143) - Martin Straka, Flo.
C 25/5-9/185
1996-97 stats............ 55 7 22 29 9 12 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 77 13 30 43 -19 41 6 0 1
Career stats............. 295 58 112 170
Career per game averages. - .20 .38 .58
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 31 47
140. (129) - Roman Oksiuta, Pit.
RW 27/6-3/229
1996-97 stats............ 35 6 7 13 -16 26 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 70 23 28 51 4 60 11 0 1
Career stats............. 153 46 41 87
Career per game averages. - .30 .27 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 22 47
141. (*) - Jim Campbell, StL. [ROOKIE]
RW 24/6-1/175
1996-97 stats............ 68 23 20 43 3 68 5 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 16 2 3 5 0 36 1 0 0
Career stats............. 84 25 23 48
Career per game averages. - .30 .27 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 22 47
142. (163) - Bobby Holik, N.J.
C 26/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 82 23 39 62 24 54 5 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 63 13 17 30 9 58 1 0 1
Career stats............. 478 123 151 272
Career per game averages. - .26 .31 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 25 47
143. (142) - Joel Otto, Phi.
C 36/6-4/220
1996-97 stats............ 78 13 19 32 12 99 0 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 67 12 29 41 11 115 6 1 1
Career stats............. 875 192 309 501
Career per game averages. - .22 .35 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 29 47
144. (118) - Andrei Nikolishin, Was.
C 24/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............ 71 9 19 28 3 32 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 61 14 37 51 -2 44 5 2 3
Career stats............. 171 31 66 97
Career per game averages. - .18 .39 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 32 47
145. (*) - Ted Donato, Bos.
LW 29/5-10/170
1996-97 stats............ 67 25 26 51 -9 37 6 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 23 26 49 6 46 7 0 1
Career stats............. 372 96 116 212
Career per game averages. - .26 .31 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 25 46
146. (*) - Sergei Berezin, Tor. [ROOKIE]
RW 25/5-10/172
1996-97 stats............ 73 25 16 41 -3 2 7 0 2
Career stats............. 73 25 16 41
Career per game averages. - .34 .22 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 28 18 46
147. (169) - Martin Gelinas, Van.
LW 27/5-11/195
1996-97 stats............ 74 35 33 68 6 42 6 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 30 26 56 8 59 3 4 5
Career stats............. 523 152 143 295
Career per game averages. - .29 .27 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 22 46
148. (156) - Bill Guerin, N.J.
RW 26/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 82 29 18 47 -2 95 7 0 9
1995-96 stats............ 80 23 30 53 7 116 8 0 6
Career stats............. 361 96 107 203
Career per game averages. - .27 .29 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 24 46
149. (*) - Guy Carbonneau, Dal.
C 37/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 73 5 16 21 9 36 0 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 71 8 15 23 -2 38 0 2 1
Career stats.............1098 239 368 607
Career per game averages. - .22 .34 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 28 46
150. (160) - Niklas Andersson, NYI
LW 26/5-9/175
1996-97 stats............ 74 12 31 43 4 57 1 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 48 14 12 26 -3 12 3 2 1
Career stats............. 124 26 44 70
Career per game averages. - .21 .35 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 29 46
151. (161) - Jason Dawe, Buf.
LW 24/5-10/195
1996-97 stats............ 81 22 26 48 14 32 4 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 67 25 25 50 -8 81 7 1 2
Career stats............. 222 60 62 122
Career per game averages. - .27 .28 .55
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 23 45
152. (162) - Yanic Perreault, L.A.
C 26/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 41 11 14 25 0 20 1 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 78 25 24 49 -11 16 8 3 7
Career stats............. 158 41 46 87
Career per game averages. - .26 .29 .55
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 24 45
153. (*) - Vladimir Tsyplakov, L.A.
LW 28/6-2/194
1996-97 stats............ 67 16 23 39 8 12 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 23 5 5 10 1 4 0 0 0
Career stats............. 89 21 28 49
Career per game averages. - .24 .31 .55
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 25 45
154. (120) - Petr Sykora, N.J.
C 21/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 19 1 2 3 -8 4 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 63 18 24 42 7 32 8 0 3
Career stats............. 82 19 26 45
Career per game averages. - .23 .32 .55
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 26 45
155. (*) - Kevin Todd, Ana.
C 29/5-10/180
1996-97 stats............ 65 9 21 30 -7 44 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 74 16 27 43 6 38 0 2 4
Career stats............. 356 66 126 192
Career per game averages. - .19 .35 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 29 45
156. (*) - Ryan Smyth, Edm.
LW 21/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 39 22 61 -7 76 20 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 48 2 9 11 -10 28 1 0 0
Career stats............. 133 41 31 72
Career per game averages. - .31 .23 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 19 44
157. (144) - Sergei Nemchinov, NYI
C 33/6-0/205
1996-97 stats............ 69 8 16 24 9 16 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 78 17 15 32 9 38 0 0 2
Career stats............. 424 107 123 230
Career per game averages. - .25 .29 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 24 44
158. (153) - Alexander Selivanov, T.B.
RW 26/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 69 15 18 33 -3 61 3 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 79 31 21 52 3 93 13 0 5
Career stats............. 191 56 45 101
Career per game averages. - .29 .24 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 20 44
159. (149) - Darrin Shannon, Pho.
LW 27/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 82 11 13 24 4 41 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 63 5 18 23 -5 28 0 0 1
Career stats............. 448 85 151 236
Career per game averages. - .19 .34 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 28 44
160. (155) - Miroslav Satan, Buf.
LW 23/6-1/176
1996-97 stats............ 76 25 13 38 -3 26 7 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 62 18 17 35 0 22 6 0 4
Career stats............. 138 43 30 73
Career per game averages. - .31 .22 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 18 43
161. (178) - Rob Niedermayer, Flo.
C 23/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 60 14 24 38 4 54 3 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 26 35 61 1 107 11 0 6
Career stats............. 255 53 82 135
Career per game averages. - .21 .32 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 26 43
162. (*) - Jonas Hoglund, Cal. [ROOKIE]
LW 25/6-3/200
1996-97 stats............ 68 19 16 35 -4 12 3 0 6
Career stats............. 68 19 16 35
Career per game averages. - .28 .24 .52
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 20 43
163. (*) - Keith Jones, Col.
RW 26/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 78 25 23 48 3 118 14 1 7
1995-96 stats............ 68 18 23 41 8 103 5 0 2
Career stats............. 325 85 85 170
Career per game averages. - .26 .26 .52
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 21 42
164. (*) - Brian Holzinger, Buf.
C 25/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............ 81 22 29 51 9 54 2 2 6
1995-96 stats............ 58 10 10 20 -21 37 5 0 1
Career stats............. 143 32 42 74
Career per game averages. - .22 .29 .52
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 24 42
165. (164) - Shawn Burr, S.J.
LW 31/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 74 14 21 35 5 106 1 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 13 15 28 4 119 1 0 2
Career stats............. 814 175 250 425
Career per game averages. - .21 .31 .52
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 25 42
166. (*) - Randy Cunneyworth, Ott.
LW 36/6-0/193
1996-97 stats............ 76 12 24 36 -7 99 6 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 17 19 36 -31 130 4 0 2
Career stats............. 781 185 212 397
Career per game averages. - .24 .27 .51
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 22 42
167. (174) - Josef Beranek, Pit.
LW 28/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............ 8 3 1 4 -1 4 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 61 6 14 20 -11 60 0 0 1
Career stats............. 324 77 88 165
Career per game averages. - .24 .27 .51
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 22 42
168. (177) - Steve Konowalchuk, Was.
C 25/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 78 17 25 42 -3 67 2 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 70 23 22 45 13 92 7 1 3
Career stats............. 293 67 82 149
Career per game averages. - .23 .28 .51
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 23 42
169. (*) - Darren McCarty, Det.
RW 25/6-1/210
1996-97 stats............ 68 19 30 49 14 126 5 0 6
1995-96 stats............ 63 15 14 29 14 158 8 0 1
Career stats............. 229 48 69 117
Career per game averages. - .21 .30 .51
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 25 42
170. (*) - Sami Kapanen, Car.
RW 24/5-10/169
1996-97 stats............ 45 14 12 26 6 2 3 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 35 5 4 9 0 6 0 0 0
Career stats............. 70 19 16 35
Career per game averages. - .27 .23 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 19 41
171. (*) - Bob Probert, Chi.
LW 32/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 82 9 14 23 -3 326 1 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 78 19 21 40 15 237 1 0 3
Career stats............. 634 142 180 322
Career per game averages. - .22 .28 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 23 41
172. (*) - Mike Peca, Buf.
C 23/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 79 20 29 49 26 80 5 6 4
1995-96 stats............ 68 11 20 31 -1 67 4 3 1
Career stats............. 184 37 55 92
Career per game averages. - .20 .30 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 25 41
173. (191) - Valeri Bure, Mon.
RW 23/5-10/174
1996-97 stats............ 64 14 21 35 4 6 4 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 77 22 20 42 10 28 5 0 1
Career stats............. 165 39 42 81
Career per game averages. - .24 .25 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 21 41
174. (165) - Robert Kron, Car.
LW 30/5-10/180
1996-97 stats............ 68 10 12 22 -18 10 2 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 77 22 28 50 -1 6 8 1 3
Career stats............. 416 94 109 203
Career per game averages. - .23 .26 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 21 40
175. (175) - Paul Ranheim, Car.
LW 31/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 67 10 11 21 -13 18 0 3 1
1995-96 stats............ 73 10 20 30 -2 14 0 1 1
Career stats............. 556 120 148 268
Career per game averages. - .22 .27 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 22 40
176. (*) - Sergei Zholtok, Ott. [ROOKIE]
C 24/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 57 12 16 28 2 19 5 0 0
Career stats............. 57 12 16 28
Career per game averages. - .21 .28 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 23 40
177. (168) - Mike Keane, NYR
RW 30/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 81 10 17 27 2 63 0 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 73 10 17 27 -5 46 0 2 2
Career stats............. 642 110 206 316
Career per game averages. - .17 .32 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 26 40
178. (154) - David Oliver, NYR
RW 26/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 31 3 3 6 -5 8 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 80 20 19 39 -22 34 14 0 0
Career stats............. 155 39 36 75
Career per game averages. - .25 .23 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 19 39
179. (167) - Patrick Poulin, T.B.
LW 24/6-1/208
1996-97 stats............ 73 12 14 26 -16 56 2 3 1
1995-96 stats............ 46 7 9 16 7 16 1 0 0
Career stats............. 313 68 83 151
Career per game averages. - .22 .26 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 21 39
180. (155) - Sergio Momesso, StL.
LW 32/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 40 1 3 4 -6 48 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 73 11 12 23 -13 142 6 0 1
Career stats............. 710 152 193 345
Career per game averages. - .21 .27 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 22 39
181. (*) - Brian Rolston, N.J.
LW 24/6-2/185
1996-97 stats............ 81 18 27 45 6 20 2 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 58 13 11 24 9 8 3 1 4
Career stats............. 179 38 49 87
Career per game averages. - .21 .27 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 22 39
182. (194) - Trent Klatt, Phi.
RW 26/6-1/210
1996-97 stats............ 76 24 21 45 9 20 5 5 5
1995-96 stats............ 71 7 12 19 2 44 0 0 2
Career stats............. 303 61 86 147
Career per game averages. - .20 .28 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 23 39
183. (*) - Dixon Ward, Buf.
RW 29/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 79 13 32 45 17 36 1 2 4
1995-96 stats............ 8 2 2 4 1 6 0 0 1
Career stats............. 246 49 70 119
Career per game averages. - .20 .28 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 23 39
184. (180) - Kelly Miller, Was.
LW 34/5-11/197
1996-97 stats............ 77 10 14 24 4 33 0 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 74 7 13 20 7 30 0 2 1
Career stats............. 919 172 270 442
Career per game averages. - .19 .29 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 24 39
185. (*) - Benoit Brunet, Mon.
LW 29/5-11/193
1996-97 stats............ 39 10 13 23 6 14 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 26 7 8 15 -4 17 3 1 4
Career stats............. 226 39 71 110
Career per game averages. - .17 .31 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 25 39
186. (185) - Mike Sillinger, Van.
C 26/5-10/191
1996-97 stats............ 78 17 20 37 -3 25 3 3 2
1995-96 stats............ 74 14 24 38 -18 38 7 1 2
Career stats............. 296 47 94 141
Career per game averages. - .16 .32 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 26 39
187. (*) - Anson Carter, Bos. [ROOKIE]
C 23/6-1/181
1996-97 stats............ 38 11 7 18 -7 9 2 1 2
Career stats............. 38 11 7 18
Career per game averages. - .29 .18 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 24 15 39
188. (170) - Todd Marchant, Edm.
C/LW 24/5-10/175
1996-97 stats............ 79 14 19 33 11 44 0 4 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 19 19 38 -19 66 2 3 2
Career stats............. 209 46 53 99
Career per game averages. - .22 .25 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 21 39
189. (*) - Jamie Langenbrunner, Dal. [ROOKIE]
C 22/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 76 13 26 39 -2 51 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 12 2 2 4 -2 6 1 0 0
Career stats............. 90 15 28 43
Career per game averages. - .17 .31 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 25 39
190. (*) - Jean-Yves Roy, Bos.
RW 28/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 52 10 15 25 -8 22 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 4 1 1 2 3 2 0 0 0
Career stats............. 59 12 16 28
Career per game averages. - .20 .27 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 22 38
191. (184) - John Druce, Phi.
RW 31/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 43 7 8 15 -5 12 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 77 13 16 29 -20 27 0 0 0
Career stats............. 508 112 124 236
Career per game averages. - .22 .24 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 20 38
192. (*) - Markus Naslund, Van.
LW 24/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 78 21 20 41 -15 30 4 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 76 22 33 55 20 42 4 0 5
Career stats............. 239 49 62 111
Career per game averages. - .21 .26 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 21 38
193. (*) - Greg Johnson, Pit.
C/RW 26/5-10/174
1996-97 stats............ 75 13 19 32 -18 26 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 60 18 22 40 6 30 5 0 2
Career stats............. 209 40 57 97
Career per game averages. - .19 .27 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 22 38
194. (*) - Dave Roberts, Van.
C/LW 27/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 58 10 17 27 11 51 1 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 34 3 10 13 -7 18 1 0 1
Career stats............. 112 19 32 51
Career per game averages. - .17 .29 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 24 38
195. (192) - Brian Noonan, Van.
RW 32/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 73 12 22 34 -3 34 3 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 81 13 22 35 2 84 3 1 6
Career stats............. 540 106 144 250
Career per game averages. - .20 .26 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 21 37
196. (186) - Todd Krygier, Was.
LW 32/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 47 5 11 16 -10 37 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 76 15 33 48 -1 82 3 1 0
Career stats............. 498 98 131 229
Career per game averages. - .20 .26 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 21 37
197. (183) - Randy Wood, NYI
LW 34/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 65 6 5 11 -7 61 0 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 8 13 21 -15 62 1 0 0
Career stats............. 741 175 159 334
Career per game averages. - .24 .21 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 17 37
198. (*) - Dave Reid, Dal.
LW 33/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 82 19 20 39 12 10 1 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 63 23 21 44 14 4 1 6 3
Career stats............. 685 141 165 306
Career per game averages. - .21 .24 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 20 37
199. (187) - Doug Brown, Det.
RW 33/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 49 6 7 13 -3 8 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 62 12 15 27 11 4 0 1 1
Career stats............. 583 113 151 264
Career per game averages. - .19 .26 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 21 37
200. (*) - Brent Gilchrist, Det.
C 30/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............ 67 10 20 30 6 24 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 77 20 22 42 -11 36 6 1 2
Career stats............. 556 112 138 250
Career per game averages. - .20 .25 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 21 37
201. (*) - Denis Pederson, N.J. [ROOKIE]
C 22/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............ 70 12 20 32 7 62 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 10 3 1 4 -1 0 1 0 2
Career stats............. 80 15 21 36
Career per game averages. - .19 .26 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 21 37
202. (*) - Rob Zamuner, T.B.
LW 28/6-2/202
1996-97 stats............ 82 17 33 50 3 56 0 4 3
1995-96 stats............ 72 15 20 35 11 62 0 3 4
Career stats............. 349 63 95 158
Career per game averages. - .18 .27 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 22 37
203. (*) - Niklas Sundstrom, NYR
C/LW 22/5-11/183
1996-97 stats............ 82 24 28 52 23 20 5 1 4
1995-96 stats............ 82 9 12 21 2 14 1 1 2
Career stats............. 164 33 40 73
Career per game averages. - .20 .24 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 20 36
204. (172) - Todd Bertuzzi, NYI
RW 22/6-3/225
1996-97 stats............ 64 10 13 23 -3 68 3 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 76 18 21 39 -14 83 4 0 2
Career stats............. 140 28 34 62
Career per game averages. - .20 .24 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 20 36
205. (193) - Todd Harvey, Dal.
C 22/5-11/200
1996-97 stats............ 71 9 22 31 19 142 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 69 9 20 29 -13 136 3 0 1
Career stats............. 180 29 51 80
Career per game averages. - .16 .28 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 23 36
206. (195) - Cory Stillman, Cal.
C 24/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 58 6 20 26 -6 14 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 74 16 19 35 -5 41 4 1 3
Career stats............. 142 22 41 63
Career per game averages. - .15 .29 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 24 36
207. (188) - Igor Korolev, Pho.
RW 27/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 41 3 7 10 5 74 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 73 22 29 51 1 42 8 0 5
Career stats............. 306 43 91 134
Career per game averages. - .14 .30 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 25 36
208. (*) - Harry York, StL. [ROOKIE]
C 23/6-2/215
1996-97 stats............ 74 14 18 32 1 24 3 1 3
Career stats............. 74 14 18 32
Career per game averages. - .19 .24 .43
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 20 36
209. (*) - Radek Dvorak, Flo.
RW 20/6-2/187
1996-97 stats............ 78 18 21 39 -2 30 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 77 13 14 27 5 20 0 0 4
Career stats............. 155 31 35 66
Career per game averages. - .20 .23 .43
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 19 35
210. (*) - Brian Skrudland, NYR
C 34/6-0/196
1996-97 stats............ 51 5 13 18 4 48 0 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 79 7 20 27 6 129 0 1 1
Career stats............. 747 112 210 322
Career per game averages. - .15 .28 .43
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 23 35
211. (*) - Stephane Matteau, S.J.
LW 28/6-3/210
1996-97 stats............ 74 16 20 36 11 50 1 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 78 11 15 26 -8 87 4 0 2
Career stats............. 451 85 104 189
Career per game averages. - .19 .23 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 19 35
212. (*) - Chris Simon, Was.
LW 25/6-3/219
1996-97 stats............ 42 9 13 22 -1 165 3 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 64 16 18 34 10 250 4 0 1
Career stats............. 188 33 45 78
Career per game averages. - .18 .24 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 20 35
213. (189) - Shaun Van Allen, Ott.
C 30/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 80 11 14 25 -8 35 1 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 49 8 17 25 13 41 0 0 2
Career stats............. 277 36 81 117
Career per game averages. - .13 .29 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 24 35
214. (*) - Steve Heinze, Bos.
RW 27/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............ 30 17 8 25 -8 27 4 2 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 16 12 28 -3 43 0 1 3
Career stats............. 306 71 57 128
Career per game averages. - .23 .19 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 15 34
215. (197) - Steve Rice, Car.
RW 26/6-0/215
1996-97 stats............ 78 21 14 35 -11 59 5 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 59 10 12 22 -4 47 1 0 2
Career stats............. 282 62 57 119
Career per game averages. - .22 .20 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 16 34
216. (196) - Jeff O'Neill, Car.
C 21/6-1/176
1996-97 stats............ 72 14 16 30 -24 40 2 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 65 8 19 27 -3 40 1 0 1
Career stats............. 137 22 35 57
Career per game averages. - .16 .26 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 21 34
217. (*) - Matthew Barnaby, Buf.
RW 24/6-0/170
1996-97 stats............ 68 19 24 43 16 249 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 73 15 16 31 -2 335 0 0 0
Career stats............. 201 38 45 83
Career per game averages. - .19 .22 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 18 34
218. (*) - Mike Grier, Edm. [ROOKIE]
RW 22/6-0/242
1996-97 stats............ 79 15 17 32 7 45 4 0 2
Career stats............. 79 15 17 32
Career per game averages. - .19 .22 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 18 34
219. (*) - Eric Lacroix, Col.
LW 26/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 81 18 18 36 16 26 2 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 72 16 16 32 -11 110 3 0 1
Career stats............. 201 43 41 84
Career per game averages. - .21 .20 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 16 33
220. (*) - Kai Nurminen, L.A.
LW 28/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 67 16 11 27 -3 22 4 0 1
Career stats............. 67 16 11 27
Career per game averages. - .24 .16 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 20 13 33
221. (*) - Joe Sacco, Ana.
RW 28/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 77 12 17 29 1 35 1 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 13 14 27 1 40 1 2 2
Career stats............. 338 65 70 135
Career per game averages. - .19 .21 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 17 33
222. (198) - Ian Laperriere, L.A.
C 23/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 62 8 15 23 -25 102 0 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 71 6 11 17 -11 155 1 0 1
Career stats............. 171 27 40 67
Career per game averages. - .16 .23 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 19 32
223. (*) - Viktor Kozlov, S.J.
LW 22/6-5/209
1996-97 stats............ 78 16 25 41 -16 40 4 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 62 6 13 19 -15 62 2 0 1
Career stats............. 156 24 38 62
Career per game averages. - .15 .24 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 20 32
224. (*) - Andreas Dackell, Ott. [ROOKIE]
RW 25/5-10/191
1996-97 stats............ 79 12 19 31 -6 8 2 0 3
Career stats............. 79 12 19 31
Career per game averages. - .15 .24 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 20 32
225. (*) - Jason Allison, Bos.
C/RW 22/6-3/205
1996-97 stats............ 72 8 26 34 -6 34 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 19 0 3 3 -3 2 0 0 0
Career stats............. 105 10 31 41
Career per game averages. - .10 .29 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 24 32
226. (*) - Andrei Nazarov, S.J.
LW 25/6-6/230
1996-97 stats............ 60 12 15 27 -4 222 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 42 7 7 14 -15 62 2 0 1
Career stats............. 129 22 27 49
Career per game averages. - .17 .21 .38
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 17 31
227. (*) - Rem Murray, Edm. [ROOKIE]
C 22/6-1/183
1996-97 stats............ 82 11 20 31 9 85 2 0 1
Career stats............. 82 11 20 31
Career per game averages. - .13 .24 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 20 31
228. (*) - Glen Murray, L.A.
RW 24/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 77 16 14 30 -21 32 3 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 69 14 15 29 4 57 0 0 2
Career stats............. 294 59 49 108
Career per game averages. - .20 .17 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 14 30
229. (*) - Brad May, Buf.
LW 25/6-1/210
1996-97 stats............ 42 3 4 7 -8 106 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 79 15 29 44 6 295 3 0 4
Career stats............. 389 63 82 145
Career per game averages. - .16 .21 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 17 30
230. (*) - Landon Wilson, Bos. [ROOKIE]
RW 22/6-2/202
1996-97 stats............ 49 8 12 20 -5 39 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 7 1 0 1 3 6 0 0 0
Career stats............. 56 9 12 21
Career per game averages. - .16 .21 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 17 30
231. (199) - Sergei Krivokrasov, Chi.
RW 23/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 67 13 11 24 -1 42 2 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 46 6 10 16 10 32 0 0 1
Career stats............. 167 32 28 60
Career per game averages. - .19 .17 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 14 30
232. (*) - Ethan Moreau, Chi. [ROOKIE]
LW 22/6-2/205
1996-97 stats............ 82 15 16 31 13 123 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 8 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0
Career stats............. 90 15 17 32
Career per game averages. - .17 .19 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 16 30
233. (*) - Tom Fitzgerald, Flo.
C/RW 29/6-1/191
1996-97 stats............ 71 10 14 24 7 64 0 2 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 13 21 34 -3 75 1 6 2
Career stats............. 489 69 106 175
Career per game averages. - .14 .22 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 18 30
234. (*) - Garry Valk, Pit.
LW 29/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 70 10 11 21 -8 78 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 79 12 12 24 8 125 1 1 2
Career stats............. 435 67 91 158
Career per game averages. - .15 .21 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 17 29
235. (*) - Stephane Yelle, Col.
C 23/6-1/165
1996-97 stats............ 79 9 17 26 1 38 0 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 71 13 14 27 15 30 0 2 1
Career stats............. 150 22 31 53
Career per game averages. - .15 .21 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 17 29
236. (*) - Shjon Podein, Phi.
LW 29/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 82 14 18 32 7 41 0 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 79 15 10 25 25 89 0 4 4
Career stats............. 273 48 46 94
Career per game averages. - .18 .17 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 14 29
237. (*) - Daymond Langkow, T.B. [ROOKIE]
C 21/5-11/175
1996-97 stats............ 79 15 13 28 1 35 3 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 4 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0
Career stats............. 83 15 14 29
Career per game averages. - .18 .17 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 14 29
238. (*) - Todd Warriner, Tor.
LW/C 23/6-1/188
1996-97 stats............ 75 12 21 33 -3 41 2 2 0
1995-96 stats............ 57 7 8 15 -11 26 1 0 0
Career stats............. 137 19 29 48
Career per game averages. - .14 .21 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 17 29
- DEFENSE -
Player Gp G A Pts +/- Pim PP SH GW
1. (1) - Paul Coffey, Phi.
36/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 57 9 25 34 11 38 1 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 76 14 60 74 19 90 3 1 3
Career stats.............1211 381 1063 1444
Career per game averages. - .31 .88 1.19
Averages over 82 games... 82 25 72 97
2. (2) - Ray Bourque, Bos.
36/5-11/210
1996-97 stats............ 62 19 31 50 -11 18 8 1 3
1995-96 stats............ 82 20 62 82 31 58 9 2 2
Career stats.............1290 362 1001 1363
Career per game averages. - .28 .78 1.06
Averages over 82 games... 82 23 64 87
3. (3) - Brian Leetch, NYR
29/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 20 58 78 31 40 9 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 15 70 85 12 30 7 0 3
Career stats............. 649 147 503 650
Career per game averages. - .23 .78 1.01
Averages over 82 games... 82 19 64 83
4. (4) - Al MacInnis, StL.
34/6-2/196
1996-97 stats............ 72 13 30 43 2 65 6 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 17 44 61 5 88 9 1 1
Career stats............. 989 251 703 954
Career per game averages. - .25 .71 .96
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 58 79
5. (6) - Phil Housley, Was.
33/5-10/185
1996-97 stats............ 77 11 29 40 -10 24 3 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 17 51 68 -6 30 6 0 1
Career stats.............1067 285 705 990
Career per game averages. - .27 .66 .93
Averages over 82 games... 82 22 54 76
6. (5) - Sergei Zubov, Dal.
26/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 78 13 30 43 19 24 1 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 64 11 55 66 28 22 3 2 1
Career stats............. 308 54 211 265
Career per game averages. - .17 .69 .86
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 57 71
7. (7) - Gary Suter, Chi.
33/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 7 21 28 -4 70 3 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 82 20 47 67 3 80 12 2 4
Career stats............. 845 167 535 702
Career per game averages. - .20 .63 .83
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 52 68
8. (9) - Jeff Brown, Car.
31/6-1/204
1996-97 stats............ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 76 8 47 55 8 56 5 0 0
Career stats............. 687 150 406 556
Career per game averages. - .22 .59 .81
Averages over 82 games... 82 18 48 66
9. (8) - Larry Murphy, Det.
36/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 81 9 36 45 3 20 5 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 12 49 61 -2 34 8 0 1
Career stats.............1315 254 797 1051
Career per game averages. - .19 .61 .80
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 50 66
10. (10) - Chris Chelios, Chi.
35/6-1/186
1996-97 stats............ 72 10 38 48 16 112 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 81 14 58 72 25 140 7 0 3
Career stats............. 920 153 567 720
Career per game averages. - .17 .62 .78
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 51 65
11. (11) - Steve Duchesne, StL.
32/5-11/195
1996-97 stats............ 78 19 28 47 -9 38 10 2 3
1995-96 stats............ 62 12 24 36 -23 42 7 0 2
Career stats............. 765 188 394 582
Career per game averages. - .25 .52 .77
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 42 63
12. (12) - Sandis Ozolinsh, Col.
25/6-3/205
1996-97 stats............ 80 23 45 68 4 88 13 0 4
1995-96 stats............ 73 14 40 54 2 54 8 1 1
Career stats............. 319 79 155 234
Career per game averages. - .25 .49 .74
Averages over 82 games... 82 21 39 60
13. (15) - Nicklas Lidstrom, Det.
27/6-2/185
1996-97 stats............ 79 15 42 57 11 30 8 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 81 17 50 67 29 20 8 1 1
Career stats............. 451 70 237 307
Career per game averages. - .16 .52 .68
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 43 56
14. (13) - Scott Stevens, N.J.
33/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 79 5 19 24 26 70 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 5 23 28 7 100 2 1 1
Career stats.............1120 162 584 746
Career per game averages. - .14 .52 .66
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 43 54
15. (18) - Zarley Zalapski, Cal.
29/6-1/215
1996-97 stats............ 2 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 80 12 17 29 11 115 5 0 1
Career stats............. 562 96 271 367
Career per game averages. - .17 .48 .65
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 39 53
16. (16) - Dave Babych, Van.
36/6-2/215
1996-97 stats............ 78 5 22 27 -2 38 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 53 3 21 24 -5 38 3 0 0
Career stats.............1101 140 566 706
Career per game averages. - .13 .51 .64
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 42 53
17. (19) - James Patrick, Cal.
34/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 19 3 1 4 2 6 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 80 3 32 35 3 30 1 0 0
Career stats............. 875 120 428 548
Career per game averages. - .14 .49 .63
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 41 52
18. (22) - Kevin Hatcher, Pit.
31/6-4/225
1996-97 stats............ 80 15 39 54 11 103 9 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 74 15 26 41 -24 58 7 0 3
Career stats............. 886 189 361 550
Career per game averages. - .21 .41 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 17 34 51
19. (14) - Robert Svehla, Flo.
28/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 13 32 45 2 86 5 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 81 8 49 57 -3 94 7 0 0
Career stats............. 168 22 82 104
Career per game averages. - .13 .49 .62
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 40 51
20. (20) - Rob Blake, L.A.
27/6-3/215
1996-97 stats............ 65 8 23 31 -28 82 4 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 6 1 2 3 0 8 0 0 0
Career stats............. 391 68 170 238
Career per game averages. - .17 .44 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 14 36 50
21. (24) - Fredrik Olausson, Pit.
31/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 71 9 29 38 16 32 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 56 2 22 24 -7 38 1 0 0
Career stats............. 711 106 329 435
Career per game averages. - .15 .46 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 38 50
22. (17) - Vladimir Malakhov, Mon.
29/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 65 10 20 30 3 43 5 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 61 5 23 28 7 79 2 0 0
Career stats............. 306 43 145 188
Career per game averages. - .14 .47 .61
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 39 50
23. (23) - Norm Maciver, Pho.
33/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............ 32 4 9 13 -11 24 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 71 7 46 53 6 58 3 0 0
Career stats............. 459 53 224 277
Career per game averages. - .11 .49 .60
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 40 49
24. (27) - Mathieu Schneider, Tor.
28/5-11/192
1996-97 stats............ 26 5 13 18 3 20 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 78 13 41 54 -20 103 7 0 1
Career stats............. 477 84 196 280
Career per game averages. - .18 .41 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 34 48
25. (26) - Al Iafrate, S.J.
31/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 38 6 9 15 -10 91 3 0 0
1995-96 stats............ INJURED - DID NOT PLAY
Career stats............. 778 150 304 454
Career per game averages. - .19 .39 .58
Averages over 82 games... 82 16 32 48
26. (21) - Jeff Norton, T.B.
31/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 75 2 16 18 -7 58 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 66 8 23 31 9 42 1 0 2
Career stats............. 535 42 265 307
Career per game averages. - .08 .49 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 41 47
27. (*) - Janne Niinimaa, Phi. [ROOKIE]
22/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 77 4 40 44 12 58 1 0 2
Career stats............. 77 4 40 44 12 58 1 0 2
Career per game averages. - .05 .52 .57
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 43 47
28. (25) - Dave Ellett, Bos.
33/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 76 6 15 21 -6 40 1 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 80 3 19 22 -10 59 1 1 0
Career stats............. 941 148 381 529
Career per game averages. - .16 .40 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 13 33 46
29. (30) - Garry Galley, L.A.
34/6-0/204
1996-97 stats............ 71 4 34 38 10 102 1 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 78 10 44 54 -2 81 7 1 2
Career stats............. 889 97 399 496
Career per game averages. - .11 .45 .56
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 37 46
30. (29) - Bruce Driver, NYR
35/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 79 5 25 30 8 48 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 66 3 34 37 2 42 3 0 0
Career stats............. 847 91 375 466
Career per game averages. - .11 .44 .55
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 36 45
31. (32) - Steve Chiasson, Car.
30/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 65 8 22 30 -21 39 4 2 1
1995-96 stats............ 76 8 25 33 3 62 5 0 2
Career stats............. 657 85 270 355
Career per game averages. - .13 .41 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 34 45
33. (33) - Jyrki Lumme, Van.
30/6-1/207
1996-97 stats............ 66 11 24 35 8 32 5 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 80 17 37 54 -9 50 8 0 2
Career stats............. 580 76 239 315
Career per game averages. - .13 .41 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 34 45
34. (28) - Doug Bodger, S.J.
31/6-2/213
1996-97 stats............ 81 1 15 16 -14 64 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 73 4 24 28 -24 68 3 0 0
Career stats............. 916 94 399 493
Career per game averages. - .10 .44 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 36 45
35. (31) - Calle Johansson, Was.
30/5-11/200
1996-97 stats............ 65 6 11 17 -2 16 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 78 10 25 35 13 50 4 0 0
Career stats............. 710 77 303 380
Career per game averages. - .11 .43 .54
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 35 44
36. (36) - Glen Wesley, Car.
29/6-1/201
1996-97 stats............ 68 6 26 32 0 40 3 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 68 8 16 24 -9 88 6 0 1
Career stats............. 721 93 286 379
Career per game averages. - .13 .40 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 33 43
37. (35) - Alexei Zhitnik, Buf.
25/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 80 7 28 35 10 95 3 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 80 6 30 36 -25 58 5 0 0
Career stats............. 351 41 144 185
Career per game averages. - .12 .41 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 34 44
38. (42) - Dmitri Mironov, Ana.
32/6-2/214
1996-97 stats............ 77 13 39 52 16 101 3 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 72 3 31 34 19 88 1 0 1
Career stats............. 324 38 133 171
Career per game averages. - .12 .41 .53
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 34 43
39. (39) - Roman Hamrlik, T.B.
23/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 79 12 28 40 -29 57 6 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 82 16 49 65 -24 103 12 0 2
Career stats............. 340 49 121 170
Career per game averages. - .14 .36 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 12 30 41
40. (*) - Per Gustafsson, Flo. [ROOKIE]
27/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............ 58 7 22 29 11 22 2 0 1
Career stats............. 58 7 22 29 11 22 2 0 1
Career per game averages. - .12 .38 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 31 41
41. (75) - Oleg Tverdovsky, Pho.
21/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 82 10 45 55 -5 30 3 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 7 23 30 -7 41 2 0 0
Career stats............. 200 20 77 97
Career per game averages. - .10 .39 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 33 41
42. (37) - Steve Smith, Chi. [RETIRED]
34/6-4/215
1996-97 stats............ 21 0 0 0 4 29 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 37 0 9 9 12 71 0 0 0
Career stats............. 702 71 283 354
Career per game averages. - .10 .40 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 33 41
43. (38) - Yves Racine, Cal.
28/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 46 1 15 16 4 24 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 57 1 19 20 -10 54 0 0 0
Career stats............. 448 37 186 223
Career per game averages. - .08 .42 .50
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 35 41
44. (41) - Eric Desjardins, Phi.
28/6-1/198
1996-97 stats............ 82 12 34 46 25 50 5 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 80 7 40 47 19 45 5 0 2
Career stats............. 601 67 228 295
Career per game averages. - .11 .38 .49
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 31 40
45. (*) - Bryan Berard, NYI [ROOKIE]
20/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 82 8 40 48 1 86 3 0 1
Career stats............. 82 8 40 48 1 86 3 0 1
Career per game averages. - .10 .49 .59
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 40 48
46. (58) - Jason Woolley, Pit.
28/6-0/188
1996-97 stats............ 60 6 30 36 4 30 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 52 6 28 34 -9 32 3 0 0
Career stats............. 183 17 71 88
Career per game averages. - .09 .39 .48
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 32 39
47. (43) - Scott Niedermayer, N.J.
24/6-0/200
1996-97 stats............ 81 5 30 35 -4 64 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 79 8 25 33 5 46 6 0 0
Career stats............. 373 38 136 174
Career per game averages. - .11 .36 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 30 39
48. (44) - Teppo Numminen, Pho.
29/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 82 2 25 27 -3 28 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 74 11 43 54 -4 22 6 0 3
Career stats............. 629 55 237 292
Career per game averages. - .09 .38 .47
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 32 39
49. (40) - Igor Kravchuk, Ott.
31/6-1/200
1996-97 stats............ 82 4 24 28 7 35 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 66 7 16 23 -19 34 3 0 1
Career stats............. 338 41 114 155
Career per game averages. - .12 .34 .46
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 28 38
50. (47) - Jiri Slegr, Pit.
26/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ PLAYED IN SWEDEN
1995-96 stats............ 57 4 13 17 -1 74 0 1 1
Career stats............. 207 15 78 93
Career per game averages. - .07 .38 .45
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 31 37
51. (49) - Sergei Gonchar, Was.
23/6-2/212
1996-97 stats............ 57 13 17 30 -11 36 3 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 78 15 26 41 25 60 4 0 4
Career stats............. 166 30 43 73
Career per game averages. - .18 .26 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 15 21 36
52. (46) - Gord Murphy, Flo.
30/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 80 8 15 23 3 51 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 70 8 22 30 5 30 4 0 0
Career stats............. 632 75 197 272
Career per game averages. - .12 .32 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 26 36
53. (48) - Viacheslav Fetisov, Det.
39/6-1/220
1996-97 stats............ 64 5 23 28 26 76 1 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 69 7 35 42 37 96 1 1 1
Career stats............. 488 34 180 214
Career per game averages. - .07 .37 .44
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 30 36
54. (70) - Boris Mironov, Edm.
25/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 55 6 26 32 2 85 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 78 8 24 32 -23 101 7 0 1
Career stats............. 241 22 81 103
Career per game averages. - .09 .34 .43
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 28 35
55. (61) - Richard Smhelik, Buf.
26/6-3/208
1996-97 stats............ 62 11 19 30 19 43 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ INJURED - DID NOT PLAY
Career stats............. 265 33 80 113
Career per game averages. - .12 .30 .42
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 25 34
56. (50) - Bob Beers, NYI
30/6-2/206
1996-97 stats............ 27 3 4 7 0 8 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 13 0 5 5 -2 10 0 0 0
Career stats............. 258 28 79 107
Career per game averages. - .11 .30 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 25 34
57. (51) - Patrice Brisebois, Mon.
26/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............ 49 2 13 15 -7 24 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 69 9 27 36 10 65 3 0 1
Career stats............. 312 29 100 129
Career per game averages. - .09 .32 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 26 34
58. (*) - Deron Quint, Pho.
21/6-1/182
1996-97 stats............ 27 3 11 14 -4 4 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 51 5 13 18 -2 22 2 0 0
Career stats............. 78 8 24 32
Career per game averages. - .10 .31 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 26 34
59. (74) - Darryl Sydor, Dal.
25/6-0/205
1996-97 stats............ 82 8 40 48 37 51 2 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 84 3 17 20 -12 75 2 0 0
Career stats............. 396 30 131 161
Career per game averages. - .08 .33 .41
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 27 34
60. (66) - John Slaney, L.A.
25/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 32 3 11 14 -10 4 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 38 6 14 20 7 14 3 1 0
Career stats............. 133 16 37 53
Career per game averages. - .12 .28 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 23 33
61. (60) - Marty McSorley, S.J.
34/6-1/225
1996-97 stats............ 57 4 12 16 -6 63 0 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 68 10 23 33 -20 169 1 1 1
Career stats............. 832 102 235 337
Career per game averages. - .12 .28 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 23 33
62. (56) - Dave Manson, Mtl.
30/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 75 4 18 22 -26 187 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 82 7 23 30 8 205 3 0 0
Career stats............. 763 87 223 310
Career per game averages. - .11 .29 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 24 33
63. (52) - Shawn Chambers, N.J.
31/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............ 73 4 17 21 17 19 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 64 2 21 23 1 18 2 0 1
Career stats............. 503 46 154 200
Career per game averages. - .09 .31 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 25 33
64. (59) - Grant Ledyard, Dal.
35/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 67 1 15 16 31 61 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 73 5 19 24 -15 20 2 0 1
Career stats............. 795 77 238 315
Career per game averages. - .10 .30 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 25 33
65. (53) - Todd Gill, S.J.
31/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............ 79 0 21 21 -20 101 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 74 7 18 25 -15 116 1 0 2
Career stats............. 718 59 231 290
Career per game averages. - .08 .32 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 26 33
66. (55) - Doug Lidster, NYR
37/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 48 3 4 7 10 24 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 59 5 9 14 11 50 0 0 0
Career stats............. 844 75 264 339
Career per game averages. - .09 .31 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 27 33
67. (34) - Marcus Ragnarsson, S.J.
26/6-1/215
1996-97 stats............ 69 3 14 17 -18 63 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 71 8 31 39 -24 42 4 0 0
Career stats............. 140 11 45 56
Career per game averages. - .08 .32 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 27 33
68. (57) - Petr Svoboda, Phi.
31/6-1/175
1996-97 stats............ 67 2 12 14 10 94 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 73 1 28 29 28 105 0 0 0
Career stats............. 824 47 282 329
Career per game averages. - .06 .34 .40
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 28 33
69. (63) - Sylvain Cote, Was.
31/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............ 57 6 18 24 11 28 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 81 5 33 38 5 40 3 0 2
Career stats............. 806 95 219 314
Career per game averages. - .12 .27 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 22 32
70. (*) - Jamie Rivers, StL. [ROOKIE]
22/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............ 15 2 5 7 -4 6 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0
Career stats............. 18 2 5 7
Career per game averages. - .11 .28 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 22 31
71. (72) - Vladimir Konstantinov, Det. [WILL NOT PLAY 97-98 SEASON]
30/5-11/176
1996-97 stats............ 77 5 33 38 38 151 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 81 14 20 34 60 139 3 1 3
Career stats............. 446 47 128 175
Career per game averages. - .10 .29 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 24 32
72. (62) - Uwe Krupp, Col.
32/6-6/235
1996-97 stats............ 60 4 17 21 12 48 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 6 0 3 3 4 4 0 0 0
Career stats............. 617 57 187 244
Career per game averages. - .09 .30 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 25 33
73. (68) - Eric Weinrich, Chi.
30/6-0/210
1996-97 stats............ 81 7 25 32 19 62 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 77 5 10 15 14 65 0 0 0
Career stats............. 520 39 164 203
Career per game averages. - .07 .32 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 26 32
74. (69) - Philippe Boucher, L.A.
24/6-3/188
1996-97 stats............ 60 7 18 25 0 25 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 53 7 16 23 -26 31 5 0 1
Career stats............. 184 22 50 72
Career per game averages. - .12 .23 .39
Averages over 82 games... 82 10 19 31
75. (90) - Alexander Karpovtsev, NYR
27/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 77 9 29 38 11 42 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 40 2 16 18 12 26 1 0 1
Career stats............. 231 18 68 86
Career per game averages. - .08 .29 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 24 31
81. (81) - Chris Pronger, StL.
23/6-5/210
1996-97 stats............ 79 11 24 35 15 143 4 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 78 7 18 25 -18 110 3 1 1
Career stats............. 281 28 76 104
Career per game averages. - .10 .27 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 22 30
82. (64) - Bill Houlder, T.B.
30/6-2/211
1996-97 stats............ 79 4 21 25 16 30 0 0 2
1995-96 stats............ 61 5 23 28 1 22 3 0 0
Career stats............. 372 34 105 139
Career per game averages. - .09 .28 .37
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 23 30
83. (*) - Wade Redden, Ott. [ROOKIE]
20/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 82 6 24 30 1 41 2 0 1
Career stats............. 82 6 24 30 1 41 2 0 1
Career per game averages. - .07 .29 .36
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 24 30
84. (77) - Derian Hatcher, Dal.
25/6-5/225
1996-97 stats............ 63 3 19 21 8 97 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 79 8 23 31 -12 129 2 0 1
Career stats............. 378 40 91 131
Career per game averages. - .11 .24 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 9 20 29
85. (79) - Kevin Lowe, Edm.
38/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 64 1 13 14 -1 50 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 53 1 5 6 20 76 0 0 0
Career stats.............1247 84 347 431
Career per game averages. - .07 .28 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 23 29
86. (91) - Ed Jovanovski, Flo.
21/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 61 7 16 23 -1 172 3 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 70 10 11 21 -3 137 2 0 2
Career stats............. 131 17 27 44
Career per game averages. - .13 .21 .34
Averages over 82 games... 82 11 17 28
87. (73) - Jamie Macoun, Tor.
36/6-2/195
1996-97 stats............ 73 1 10 11 -14 93 0 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 0 8 8 2 87 0 0 0
Career stats............. 985 75 265 340
Career per game averages. - .08 .27 .35
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 21 28
88. (80) - Ulf Samuelsson, NYR.
33/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............ 73 6 11 17 3 138 1 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 74 1 18 19 9 122 0 0 0
Career stats............. 887 49 256 305
Career per game averages. - .05 .29 .34
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 24 28
89. (78) - Chris Joseph, Van.
28/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 63 3 13 16 -21 62 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 70 5 14 19 6 71 0 0 1
Career stats............. 403 35 99 134
Career per game averages. - .08 .25 .33
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 20 27
90. (65) - Leif Rohlin, Van.
29/6-1/198
1996-97 stats............ 40 2 8 10 4 8 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 56 6 16 22 0 32 1 0 0
Career stats............. 96 8 24 32
Career per game averages. - .08 .25 .33
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 20 27
91. (76) - Tommy Albelin, Cal.
33/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............ 72 4 11 15 -8 14 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 73 1 13 14 1 18 0 0 0
Career stats............. 545 33 146 179
Career per game averages. - .06 .27 .33
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 22 27
92. (*) - Bryan McCabe, NYI
22/6-1/204
1996-97 stats............ 82 8 20 28 -2 165 2 1 2
1995-96 stats............ 82 7 16 23 -24 156 3 0 1
Career stats............. 164 15 36 51
Career per game averages. - .09 .23 .32
Averages over 82 games... 82 8 18 26
93. (83) - Alexei Gusarov, Col.
32/6-3/185
1996-97 stats............ 58 2 12 14 4 28 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 65 5 15 20 29 56 0 0 0
Career stats............. 396 29 98 127
Career per game averages. - .07 .25 .32
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 20 26
94. (71) - Kenny Jonsson, NYI
23/6-3/195
1996-97 stats............ 81 3 18 21 10 24 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 66 4 26 30 7 32 3 0 1
Career stats............. 186 9 51 60
Career per game averages. - .05 .27 .32
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 22 26
95. (82) - Jason York, Ott.
27/6-1/192
1996-97 stats............ 75 4 17 21 -8 67 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 79 3 21 24 -7 88 0 0 0
Career stats............. 188 9 50 59
Career per game averages. - .04 .27 .31
Averages over 82 games... 82 3 23 26
96. (*) - Daniel Mcgillis, Edm. [ROOKIE]
25/6-2/220
1996-97 stats............ 73 6 16 22 2 52 2 1 2
Career stats............. 73 6 16 22 2 52 2 1 2
Career per game averages. - .08 .22 .30
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 18 25
97. (85) - Mark Tinordi, Was.
31/6-4/213
1996-97 stats............ 56 2 6 8 3 118 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 71 3 10 13 26 113 2 0 0
Career stats............. 577 44 133 177
Career per game averages. - .08 .23 .31
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 19 25
98. (87) - Sean Hill, Ott.
27/6-0/195
1996-97 stats............ 5 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 80 7 14 21 -26 94 2 0 2
Career stats............. 229 17 54 71
Career per game averages. - .07 .24 .31
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 19 25
99. (86) - Dimitri Yushkevich, Tor.
26/5-11/208
1996-97 stats............ 74 4 10 14 -24 47 0 1 0
1995-96 stats............ 69 1 10 11 -14 54 1 0 0
Career stats............. 340 20 81 101
Career per game averages. - .06 .24 .30
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 20 25
100. (95) - Don Sweeney, Bos.
31/5-11/170
1996-97 stats............ 82 3 23 26 -5 39 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 77 4 24 28 -4 42 2 0 3
Career stats............. 611 40 142 182
Career per game averages. - .07 .23 .30
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 20 25
101. (96) - Chris Therien, Phi.
25/6-3/230
1996-97 stats............ 71 2 22 24 26 64 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 82 6 17 23 16 89 3 0 1
Career stats............. 201 11 49 60
Career per game averages. - .06 .24 .30
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 20 24
102. (94) - Tom Pederson, S.J.
27/5-9/175
1996-97 stats............ 15 1 2 3 0 9 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 60 1 4 5 -9 40 1 0 1
Career stats............. 240 20 49 69
Career per game averages. - .08 .21 .29
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 17 24
103. (92) - Karl Dykhuis, Phi.
25/6-3/195
1996-97 stats............ 62 4 15 19 7 35 2 0 1
1995-96 stats............ 82 5 15 20 12 101 1 0 0
Career stats............. 195 12 44 56
Career per game averages. - .06 .23 .29
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 19 24
104. (*) - Jon Klemm, Col.
27/6-3/200
1996-97 stats............ 80 9 15 24 12 37 1 2 1
1995-96 stats............ 56 3 12 15 12 20 0 1 1
Career stats............. 151 13 27 40
Career per game averages. - .09 .18 .27
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 16 23
105. (93) - Kevin Haller, Car.
26/6-2/183
1996-97 stats............ 62 2 11 13 -12 85 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 69 5 9 14 18 92 0 2 2
Career stats............. 397 33 76 109
Career per game averages. - .08 .19 .27
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 16 23
106. (*) - Aaron Miller, Col. [ROOKIE]
26/6-3/197
1996-97 stats............ 56 5 12 17 15 15 0 0 3
1995-96 stats............ 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career stats............. 71 5 15 20
Career per game averages. - .07 .21 .28
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 17 23
107. (99) - Curtis Leschyshyn, Car.
28/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............ 77 4 18 22 -18 38 1 1 1
1995-96 stats............ 77 4 15 19 32 73 0 0 1
Career stats............. 588 38 120 158
Career per game averages. - .07 .20 .27
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 16 22
108. (*) - Michal Sykora, Chi.
24/6-0/225
1996-97 stats............ 63 3 14 17 4 69 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 79 4 16 20 -14 54 1 0 0
Career stats............. 180 8 38 46
Career per game averages. - .05 .21 .26
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 17 21
109. (98) - Franticek Kucera, Phi.
29/6-2/205
1996-97 stats............ 4 0 0 0 -2 2 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 54 3 6 9 2 20 0 0 1
Career stats............. 354 21 75 96
Career per game averages. - .06 .21 .27
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 17 22
110. (97) - Adam Burt, Car.
28/6-0/190
1996-97 stats............ 71 2 11 13 -13 79 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 78 4 9 13 -4 121 0 0 1
Career stats............. 499 35 92 127
Career per game averages. - .07 .18 .25
Averages over 82 games... 82 6 15 21
111. (*) - Stephane Quintal, Mon.
29/6-3/231
1996-97 stats............ 71 7 15 22 1 100 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 68 2 14 16 -4 117 0 1 1
Career stats............. 522 32 99 131
Career per game averages. - .06 .19 .25
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 16 21
112. (100) - Craig Wolanin, T.B.
30/6-3/205
1996-97 stats............ 38 0 4 4 -6 21 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 75 7 20 27 25 50 0 3 0
Career stats............. 685 40 133 173
Career per game averages. - .06 .19 .25
Averages over 82 games... 82 5 16 21
113. (*) - Janne Laukkanen, Ott.
27/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............ 76 3 18 21 -14 76 2 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 34 1 2 3 -1 14 1 0 0
Career stats............. 110 4 23 27
Career per game averages. - .04 .21 .25
Averages over 82 games... 82 3 17 20
114. (*) - Anders Eriksson, Det. [ROOKIE]
22/6-3/220
1996-97 stats............ 23 0 6 6 5 10 0 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0
Career stats............. 24 0 6 6 6 12 0 0 0
Career per game averages. - .00 .25 .25
Averages over 82 games... 82 0 21 21
115. (*) - David Wilkie, Mon. [ROOKIE]
23/6-2/210
1996-97 stats............ 61 6 9 15 -9 63 3 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 24 1 5 6 -10 10 1 0 0
Career stats............. 86 7 14 21
Career per game averages. - .08 .16 .24
Averages over 82 games... 82 7 13 20
116. (*) - Drew Bannister, Edm. [ROOKIE]
23/6-2/205
1996-97 stats............ 65 4 14 18 -23 44 1 0 0
1995-96 stats............ 13 0 1 1 -1 4 0 0 0
Career stats............. 78 4 15 19
Career per game averages. - .05 .19 .24
Averages over 82 games... 82 4 16 20
- GOALTENDERS -
Player, Team GP W L T SO GAA SV%
1. (3) - Patrick Roy, Col.
32/6-0/182
1996-97 stats............. 62 38 15 7 7 2.32 .923
1995-96 stats............. 61 34 24 2 2 2.78 .908
Career stats.............. 652 349 205 74 37 2.72 .906
2. (4) - Martin Brodeur, N.J.
25/6-1/205
1996-97 stats............. 67 37 14 13 10 1.88 .927
1995-96 stats............. 77 34 30 12 6 2.34 .911
Career stats.............. 235 119 67 39 22 2.24 .915
3. (18) - Dominik Hasek, Buf.
32/5-11/168
1996-97 stats............. 67 37 20 10 5 2.27 .930
1995-96 stats............. 59 22 30 6 2 2.83 .920
Career stats.............. 278 132 98 35 20 2.40 .922
4. (16) - Mike Richter, NYR
31/5-11/182
1996-97 stats............. 61 33 22 6 4 2.68 .917
1995-96 stats............. 41 24 13 3 3 2.68 .912
Career stats.............. 352 182 113 34 18 2.93 .905
5. (7) - Grant Fuhr, StL.
35/5-9/199
1996-97 stats............. 73 33 27 11 3 2.72 .901
1995-96 stats............. 79 30 28 16 3 2.87 .903
Career stats.............. 748 353 250 98 20 3.48 .885
6. (28) - Curtis Joseph, Edm.
30/5-10/182
1996-97 stats............. 72 32 29 9 6 2.93 .907
1995-96 stats............. 34 15 16 2 0 3.44 .886
Career stats.............. 386 184 141 45 11 3.05 .906
7. (6) - Ron Hextall, Phi.
33/6-3/192
1996-97 stats............. 55 31 16 5 5 2.56 .897
1995-96 stats............. 53 31 13 7 4 2.17 .913
Career stats.............. 539 265 191 56 19 3.06 .894
8. (14) - Nikolai Khabibulin, Pho.
24/6-1/176
1996-97 stats............. 72 30 33 6 7 2.83 .908
1995-96 stats............. 53 26 20 3 2 3.13 .908
Career stats.............. 151 64 62 13 9 3.02 .906
9. (11) - Guy Hebert, Ana.
30/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............. 67 29 25 12 4 2.67 .919
1995-96 stats............. 59 28 23 5 4 2.83 .914
Career stats.............. 254 112 108 27 13 2.91 .910
10. (33) - Andy Moog, Mon.
37/5-8/170
1996-97 stats............. 48 28 13 5 3 2.15 .913
1995-96 stats............. 41 13 19 7 1 2.99 .900
Career stats.............. 671 354 192 83 25 3.17 .891
11. (15) - John Vanbiesbrouck, Flo.
34/5-8/172
1996-97 stats............. 57 27 19 10 2 2.29 .919
1995-96 stats............. 57 26 20 7 2 2.68 .904
Career stats.............. 657 288 256 79 25 3.14 .898
12. (7) - Felix Potvin, Tor.
26/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............. 74 27 36 7 0 3.15 .908
1995-96 stats............. 69 30 26 11 2 2.87 .910
Career stats.............. 297 131 114 42 7 2.88 .909
13. (1) - Chris Osgood, Det.
24/5-10/175
1996-97 stats............. 47 23 13 9 6 2.30 .910
1995-96 stats............. 50 39 6 5 5 2.17 .911
Career stats.............. 157 99 32 19 14 2.39 .907
14. (22) - Rick Tabaracci, Cal.
28/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............. 62 23 29 6 5 2.70 .903
1995-96 stats............. 43 19 16 3 3 2.94 .892
Career stats.............. 218 76 90 21 13 3.06 .892
15. (12) - Sean Burke, Car.
30/6-4/210
1996-97 stats............. 51 22 22 6 4 2.69 .914
1995-96 stats............. 66 28 28 6 4 3.11 .907
Career stats.............. 418 166 186 47 14 3.33 .893
16. (2) - Jim Carey, Bos.
23/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............. 59 22 31 3 1 3.08 .886
1995-96 stats............. 71 35 24 9 9 2.26 .906
Career stats.............. 158 75 61 15 14 2.54 .899
17. (13) - Jocelyn Thibault, Mon.
22/5-11/170
1996-97 stats............. 61 22 24 11 1 2.90 .910
1995-96 stats............. 50 26 17 5 3 2.86 .907
Career stats.............. 158 68 56 21 5 2.90 .906
18. (*) - Patrick Lalime, Pit. [ROOKIE]
23/6-2/180
1996-97 stats............. 39 21 12 3 3 2.94 .913
Career stats.............. 39 21 12 3 3 2.94 .913
19. (30) - Kirk McLean, Van.
31/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............. 44 21 18 3 0 3.21 .889
1995-96 stats............. 45 15 21 9 2 3.54 .910
Career stats.............. 493 207 213 58 19 3.27 .887
20. (29) - Trevor Kidd, Car.
25/6-2/190
1996-97 stats............. 55 21 23 6 4 2.84 .900
1995-96 stats............. 47 15 21 8 3 2.78 .895
Career stats.............. 178 72 66 26 10 2.83 .898
21. (5) - Bill Ranford, Was.
30/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............. 56 20 23 10 2 3.25 .887
1995-96 stats............. 77 34 30 9 2 3.29 .885
Career stats.............. 574 223 243 67 14 3.41 .888
22. (23) - Jeff Hackett, Chi.
29/6-1/185
1996-97 stats............. 41 19 18 4 2 2.16 .927
1995-96 stats............. 35 18 11 4 4 2.40 .916
Career stats.............. 226 62 126 16 6 3.39 .893
24. (49) - Arturs Irbe, Van.
30/5-7/180
1996-97 stats............. 35 17 12 3 3 2.69 .893
1995-96 stats............. 22 4 12 4 0 4.59 .860
Career stats.............. 218 73 103 29 11 3.35 .889
25. (*) - Ron Tugnutt, Ott.
30/5-11/155
1996-97 stats............. 37 17 15 1 3 2.80 .895
1995-96 stats............. DID NOT PLAY
Career stats.............. 262 75 132 25 5 3.77 .882
26. (21) - Ken Wregget, Pit.
33/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............. 46 17 17 6 2 3.25 .902
1995-96 stats............. 37 20 13 2 3 3.24 .905
Career stats.............. 504 198 220 45 8 3.77 .883
27. (43) - Kelly Hrudey, S.J.
36/5-10/189
1996-97 stats............. 48 16 24 5 0 3.19 .889
1995-96 stats............. 36 7 15 10 0 3.26 .907
Career stats.............. 649 267 249 86 16 3.45 .893
28. (34) - Garth Snow, Phi.
28/6-3/200
1996-97 stats............. 35 14 8 8 2 2.52 .903
1995-96 stats............. 26 12 8 4 0 2.88 .894
Career stats.............. 68 30 19 12 2 2.82 .894
29. (17) - Ed Belfour, Dal.
32/5-11/182
1996-97 stats............. 46 14 24 6 2 2.82 .901
1995-96 stats............. 50 22 17 10 1 2.74 .902
Career stats.............. 428 204 147 56 31 2.68 .903
30. (31) - Damian Rhodes, Ott.
28/6-0/178
1996-97 stats............. 50 14 20 14 1 2.72 .890
1995-96 stats............. 47 14 27 5 2 2.77 .905
Career stats.............. 133 44 60 23 3 2.71 .901
31. (20) - Mike Vernon, S.J.
34/5-9/170
1996-97 stats............. 33 13 11 8 0 2.43 .899
1995-96 stats............. 32 21 7 2 3 2.26 .903
Career stats.............. 562 301 179 65 13 3.13 .885
32. (32) - Byron Dafoe, Bos.
26/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............. 40 13 17 5 0 3.11 .905
1995-96 stats............. 47 14 24 8 1 3.87 .888
Career stats.............. 97 30 44 14 1 3.52 .894
33. (19) - Stephane Fiset, L.A.
27/6-1/195
1996-97 stats............. 44 13 24 5 4 3.19 .906
1995-96 stats............. 37 22 6 7 1 2.93 .898
Career stats.............. 232 97 91 27 10 3.30 .895
34. (24) - Corey Hirsch, Van.
25/5-10/160
1996-97 stats............. 39 12 20 4 2 3.27 .894
1995-96 stats............. 41 17 14 6 1 2.93 .903
Career stats.............. 84 30 36 11 3 3.12 .897
35. (36) - Craig Billington, Col.
30/5-10/170
1996-97 stats............. 23 11 8 2 1 2.65 .909
1995-96 stats............. 27 10 13 3 0 3.44 .867
Career stats.............. 241 80 110 19 6 3.93 .868
37. (*) - Corey Schwab, T.B.
27/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............. 31 11 12 1 2 3.04 .897
1995-96 stats............. 10 0 3 0 0 2.18 .899
Career stats.............. 41 11 15 1 2 2.88 .897
38. (*) - Dwayne Roloson, Cal. [ROOKIE]
28/6-1/180
1996-97 stats............. 31 9 14 3 1 2.89 .897
Career stats.............. 31 9 14 3 1 2.89 .897
39. (48) - Jason Muzzatti, NYR
26/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............. 31 9 13 5 0 3.43 .888
1995-96 stats............. 22 4 8 3 1 2.91 .911
Career stats.............. 55 13 22 8 1 3.32 .895
40. (41) - Eric Fichaud, NYI [ROOKIE]
22/5-11/190
1996-97 stats............. 34 9 14 4 0 3.10 .899
1995-96 stats............. 24 7 12 2 1 3.31 .897
Career stats.............. 58 16 26 6 1 3.19 .898
38. (38) - Darcy Wakaluk, Pho.
31/5-11/185
1996-97 stats............. 16 8 3 1 1 2.99 .899
1995-96 stats............. 37 9 16 5 1 3.39 .891
Career stats.............. 191 67 75 21 9 3.22 .889
39. (*) - Mike Dunham, N.J. [ROOKIE]
25/6-3/185
1996-97 stats............. 26 8 7 1 2 2.55 .906
Career stats.............. 26 8 7 1 2 2.55 .906
40. (*) - Robbie Tallas, Bos. [ROOKIE]
24/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............. 28 8 12 1 1 3.33 .882
1995-96 stats............. 1 1 0 0 0 3.00 .897
Career stats.............. 29 9 12 1 1 3.32 .883
41. (47) - Olaf Kolzig, Was.
27/6-3/188
1996-97 stats............. 29 8 15 4 2 2.59 .906
1995-96 stats............. 18 4 8 2 0 3.08 .887
Career stats.............. 71 14 36 8 2 2.99 .891
42. (27) - Mark Fitzpatrick, Fla.
29/6-2/198
1996-97 stats............. 30 8 9 9 0 2.36 .914
1995-96 stats............. 34 15 11 3 0 2.96 .891
Career stats.............. 253 98 85 40 6 3.15 .896
43. (42) - M. Shtalenkov, Ana.
32/6-2/185
1996-97 stats............. 24 7 8 1 2 2.89 .904
1995-96 stats............. 30 7 16 3 0 3.12 .896
Career stats.............. 82 21 35 6 2 3.10 .898
44. (26) - Chris Terreri, S.J.
33/5-8/160
1996-97 stats............. 22 6 10 3 0 2.75 .901
1995-96 stats............. 50 16 29 1 0 3.61 .884
Career stats.............. 336 125 140 36 6 3.14 .892
45. (*) - Jose Theodore, Mon. [ROOKIE]
21/5-11/180
1996-97 stats............. 16 5 6 2 0 3.87 .896
1995-96 stats............. 1 0 0 0 0 6.67 .500
Career stats.............. 17 5 6 2 0 3.91 .894
46. (25) - Glenn Healy, Tor.
35/5-10/190
1996-97 stats............. 23 5 12 4 1 2.61 .907
1995-96 stats............. 44 17 14 11 2 2.90 .900
Career stats.............. 372 143 160 42 11 3.45 .887
47. (*) - Bob Essensa, Edm.
32/6-0/185
1996-97 stats............. 19 4 8 0 1 2.80 .899
1995-96 stats............. DID NOT PLAY
Career stats.............. 313 124 129 34 16 3.31 .894
48. (*) - Steve Shields, Buf. [ROOKIE]
25/6-3/210
1996-97 stats............. 13 3 8 2 0 2.97 .913
1995-96 stats............. 2 1 0 0 0 3.20 .875
Career stats.............. 15 4 8 2 0 2.99 .910
49. (*) - Marcel Cousineau, Tor. [ROOKIE]
24/5-9/180
1996-97 stats............. 13 3 5 2 1 3.29 .902
Career stats.............. 13 3 5 2 1 3.29 .902
50. (*) - Jamie Storr, L.A. [ROOKIE]
22/6-1/190
1996-97 stats............. 5 2 1 1 0 2.50 .925
1995-96 stats............. 5 3 1 0 0 2.76 .918
Career stats.............. 15 6 5 2 0 3.05 .910
51. (*) - Kevin Hodson, Det. [ROOKIE]
25/6-0/175
1996-97 stats............. 6 2 2 1 1 1.63 .930
1995-96 stats............. 4 2 0 0 1 1.10 .955
Career stats.............. 10 4 2 1 2 1.44 .939
52. (*) - Michael Fountain, Car. [ROOKIE]
25/6-2/200
1996-97 stats............. 6 2 2 0 1 3.44 .896
Career stats.............. 6 2 2 0 1 3.44 .896
53. (50) - Wade Flaherty, S.J.
29/6-1/160
1996-97 stats............. 7 2 4 0 0 5.18 .847
1995-96 stats............. 24 3 12 1 0 4.91 .839
Career stats.............. 53 10 26 2 1 4.29 .878
54. (10) - Darren Puppa, T.B.
32/6-3/205
1996-97 stats............. 6 1 1 2 0 2.58 .907
1995-96 stats............. 57 29 16 9 5 2.46 .918
Career stats.............. 385 168 139 47 17 3.04 .897
55. (*) - Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Cal. [ROOKIE]
20/6-0/175
1996-97 stats............. 8 1 4 0 0 3.65 .881
Career stats.............. 8 1 4 0 0 3.65 .881
56. (35) - Tommy Soderstrom, NYI
28/5-9/156
1996-97 stats............. 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 .000
1995-96 stats............. 51 11 22 6 2 3.87 .878
Career stats.............. 156 45 69 19 10 3.64 .884
57. (40) - Tim Cheveldae, Bos.
30/5-10/195
1996-97 stats............. 2 0 1 0 0 3.23 .848
1995-96 stats............. 30 8 18 3 0 3.93 .883
Career stats.............. 340 149 136 37 10 3.49 .883
58. (39) - Andrei Trefilov, Buf.
28/6-0/180
1996-97 stats............. 3 0 2 0 0 3.77 .898
1995-96 stats............. 22 8 8 1 0 3.51 .903
Career stats.............. 43 11 17 4 2 3.34 .902
59. (44) - Don Beaupre, Tor.
36/5-10/172
1996-97 stats............. 3 0 3 0 0 5.45 .833
1995-96 stats............. 41 6 28 0 1 3.87 .872
Career stats.............. 662 268 278 75 17 3.45 .884
60. (9) - Tom Barrasso, Pit.
32/6-3/211
1996-97 stats............. 5 0 5 0 0 5.78 .860
1995-96 stats............. 49 29 16 3 2 3.43 .902
Career stats.............. 602 295 218 63 23 3.45 .889
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