head coach: Jim Schoenfeld

roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Cliff Ronning, Craig Janney, Mike Stapleton, Bob Corkum. LW - Keith Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Jim McKenzie, Jocelyn Lemieux. RW - Mike Gartner, Rick Tocchet, Shane Doan, Dallas Drake. D - Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdosky*, Norm Maciver, Jim Johnson, Jay More, Murray Baron, Gerald Diduck, Deron Quint. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Darcy Wakaluk, Parris Duffus.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: XX/XX - Traded defenseman Kevin Dahl to the Calgary Flames for future considerations; re-signed free-agent center Jocelyn Lemieux. 07/02 - Re-signed forward Mike Stapleton to a two-year contract. 07/03 - Announced that goaltending coach Pete Peeters will not return to the club next season. 07/08 - Signed unrestricted free-agent right wing Rick Tocchet (Washington) to a three-year contract. 07/23 - Signed defenseman Dan Focht, their first-round pick in the 1996 draft, to a three-year contract. 07/31 - Re-signed free-agent left wing Jim McKenzie to a one-year contract; signed right wing Darin Kimble and center/right wing Scott Levins to multi-year contracts. 08/01 - Named Gord Roberts assistant coach. 08/04 - Signed free-agent left wing Jeff Christian (Pittsburgh) to a one-year contract. 08/06 - Signed right wing Martin Simard to a one-year contract. 08/13 - Signed center Trevor Letowski to a multi-year contract. 08/18 - Signed free-agent defenseman John Slaney (Los Angeles) to a one-year contract. 09/05 - Signed free-agent defenseman Brad Tiley to a one-year contract.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      38-37-7
 HOME         15-19-7
 ROAD         23-18-0        
POINTS:             83 (11th)
GOALS SCORED:      240 (12th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     243 (15th)
POWER PLAY:      18.1%  (4th)
PENALTY KILLING: 85.9%  (5th) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
9/14 at Calgary         W 7-6             

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

NEW COYOTE LEADING THE PACK

The Coyotes had a decent first season in the desert. The club finished above .500 at 38-37-7, ended up fifth in the Western Conference, and went seven games in the first round before getting edged by the Ducks. That still wasn't enough to save coach Don Hay's job. Hay's first year behind the bench was his last. GM Bobby Smith didn't feel he was the right man to lead the team to a championship, so he replaced him with former Washington coach Jim Schoenfeld. Promising a fast-paced, aggressive style, Schoenfeld's no-nonsense approach should be just what this talented yet underachieving team needs.

OFFENSE: Tkachuk and Roenick Remain Core

Phoenix doesn't have a whole lot to write home about on offense, but they do have two great players in Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick. Tkachuk led the league last season with 52 goals and is one of the game's most dominating players. He should be a lock for similar production this year. Roenick, on the other hand, is somewhat questionable.

Over the last few seasons, good ol' JR has hardly resembled the consistent 50-goal, 100-point threat he was back in the day with the Blackhawks. He stumbled through most of last season, recording a mere 29 goals and 69 points in 72 games. The good news is that he did seem to get better as the year went along and he was a major factor in the playoff loss to Anaheim. The Coyotes were getting blown out of the water by Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne until Roenick was assigned to shadow Kariya. Roenick put the clamps on 'im and the Coyotes took command of the series, owning a 3-2 lead heading to Game Six in Phoenix. That's when Roenick suffered yet another knee injury and was forced out of action. Without his tormenter around, Kariya sprung free and scored the OT winner to force a Game Seven that the Ducks eventually won. Had Roenick stayed healthy, the Coyotes would have devoured the water fowl. At least the injury didn't require surgery and Roenick is already back to full strength. He could be in store for a big season. Once a great player, always a great player.

In hopes of offering Tkachuk and Roenick some offensive support, the club signed free agent Rick Tocchet over the summer. Once known as the premier power forward in the league, Tocchet has missed 83 games over the past four seasons due to a chronic bad back. At 33, the condition isn't going to go away over night. If he can somehow stay healthy, Tocchet will be good for 30 goals the hard way. Saying that Tocchet is slow might be an insult to slow skaters everywhere, but his game isn't about speed. He just barges his way to the net and creates havoc in front, setting screens, collecting rebounds, and knocking pucks out of the air. It's these qualities that make him such a dangerous presence on the power play. Teaming him up with Tkachuk on the man-advantage will spell all sorts of trouble for opposing netminders. And even if he doesn't score, Tocchet can still have an enormous impact on the club. He was a former captain in Philadelphia and has won a Stanley Cup while a member of the Penguins. He's a leader in the room that knows what it takes to win. And he's the ultimate team player. If someone messes with one of his teammates, rest assured Tocchet will be the first one to drop the gloves and dish out some beatings.

The only other goal-scorer on the roster is 38-year-old Mike Gartner. The guy's just a freak of nature. Every year people write him off as being too old, and every year he scores 30 goals. Last season he bagged 32, giving him 17 30-goal seasons in his remarkable 18-year career. So Gartner is about as dependable as it gets. He also has a major milestone on the horizon, entering the 1997-98 season just four goals shy of 700 for his career. Wayne Gretzky (862), Gordie Howe (801), Marcel Dionne (731), and Phil Esposito (713) are the only four players in NHL history to score 700 goals.

Phoenix's big area of concern on offense is at center. After Roenick, the club's next two centers are Craig Janney and Cliff Ronning. Janney used to be good, like, in 1989. He had only 15 goals and 53 points last season while playing his usual soft overall game. Ronning certainly doesn't add any muscle. At 5'8", 165, he's barely big enough to ride the bumper cars. And that 5'8" is a bit generous. Lil Theo Fleury once said he could eat an apple off Ronning's head. Cliffy isn't much of a defender, but he can spark the team with his skating and playmaking skills. If they can just survive at even-strength, Janney and Ronning could make an impact on the power play. The checking assignments in the middle will be given to Bob Corkum and Mike Stapleton. Corkum is more of a grinder along the boards while Stapleton uses his speed to pressure the opposition. Both are good role players to have around.

Speaking of role players, the Coyotes have one of the best in the league in Darrin Shannon. A few years back, Shannon seemed destined to become a power forward that could bag 25-30 goals a year. The scoring numbers never materialized, but he has emerged as an excellent checking winger. Few players in the league hit as hard or as often as Shannon. He works like a champ along the boards and in the corners, doing whatever is needed to help the team win. Schoenfeld should love this guy.

The Coyotes suffered a major free agent loss when Kris King left town to sign with the Maple Leafs. King was a leader on the team and the type of hard-nosed winger every club needs. He was also very involved with the community, being one of the driving forces behind the Goals for Kids charity. It'll be tough to replace the intangibles he brought to the club.

DEFENSE:Oleg More Fun than a Barrel of Snakes

Oleg Tverdovsky finally started to deliver on the offensive potential that made him the second-overall pick at the 1994 Draft, finishing fourth among NHL defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 55 points. Oleg appeared in all 82 games and logged enormous amounts of ice time, usually playing the full two minutes on the power play as well as killing penalties and being on the top pairing at even-strength. He just did everything for the Coyotes. Now he wants his contract to show it. Tverdovsky is currently an unsigned restricted free agent. The Coyotes have to get this guy signed. He's the only defenseman on the team that can produce big-time points from the line. Not having him around would be a devastating blow to the offense.

Tverdovsky's regular defensive partner is LCS hero Teppo Numminen. Numminen the Great, by his standards, had kind of a weak season a year ago, posting just two goals and 27 points. Teppo isn't really known for his scoring, steady defense is his claim to fame, but he's more than capable of chipping in with about eight goals and 40 points. He'll need to pick up the scoring a bit this season.

If Norm Maciver could stay in the lineup, he should help Tverdovsky in the scoring department. But he's proven to be quite fragile the last few years. Youngster Deron Quint also has the skills to make the scoresheet. He only played in 27 games last season, but should see an expanded role this time around.

The rest of the defense is made up of Murray Baron, Gerald Diduck, Jim Johnson, and Jay More. None are Norris material, but they're all pretty decent defensively and can play a physical game. As long as Tverdovsky gets signed, the defense won't be that bad.

GOALTENDING:Khabby, Khabby, Khabby

The plan last season was to split the goaltending chores between veteran Darcy Wakaluk and LCS cult hero Nikolai Khabibulin. Well, that plan got scrapped when Wakaluk got injured after the first few months of the season. Khabibulin immediately stepped up and seized control, using the opportunity to prove himself a true goaltending superstar. Khabby started the final 49 games of the season and showed the ability to dominate games with his acrobatic style, posting seven shutouts along the way, including a string of three straight blankings. Khabby is a bad man.

And according to world renowned art critic, Jerry Fairish, Khabby also has the best goalie mask in the league. "The paint job is simple, yet complex," said Fairish. "It works on so many levels. It gives a profound insight into the human condition. I liked it so much I painted my dog just like it." It's worth mentioning that Mr. Fairish is the only world renowned art critic that is almost continually wacky on the junk.

Anyway, now that Khabby has cemented his status as an elite netminder, Wakaluk will return to his familiar role as a backup. He may not like it, but as the old saying goes, "Who cares?"

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Tkachuk and Roenick give the club two superstars on offense.

* Khabibulin is a star in net.

* Schoenfeld is known to get the most out of his players.

TROUBLE

* Tverdovsky holdout could be a distraction.

* Club needs to get bigger and stronger at center.

* Tocchet's injury problems could keep him from making a big impact.

1997-98 OUTLOOK: If Janney and Ronning can hold their own at center, the Coyotes could be in store for a strong season. With Tkachuk, Roenick, Tverdovsky, and Khabibulin, the Coyotes have at least one superstar at all three positions. Schoenfeld should be able to light a fire under the squad and get the most out of them. With Detroit due for a slide, Phoenix could move up the ladder in the Central.

PREDICTION: Second in the Central and in the playoffs.

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