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head coach: Craig Hartsburg

roster: C - Steve Dubinsky, Greg Johnson, Chad Kilger, Jeff Shantz, Brent Sutter, Alexei Zhamnov. LW - James Black, Eric Daze, Jean-Yves Leroux, Kevin Miller, Ethan Moreau, Bob Probert, Reid Simpson. RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei Krivokrasov, Ryan VandenBussche. D - Chris Chelios, Christian LaFlamme, Jayson More, Cam Russell, Gary Suter, Michal Sykora, Eric Weinrich, Trent Yawney. G - Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri, Andrei Trefilov.

injuries: Cam Russell, d (concussion, indefinite); Jeff Shantz, c (torn ACL in left knee, out for season); Michal Sykora, d (collapsed lung, indefinite); Alexei Zhamnov, c (broken finger, indefinite).

transactions: Assigned Todd White, c, to Indianapolis (IHL) April 8; signed Steve Dubinsky, c, to a two-year contract extension April 7; assigned Dmitri Nabokov, c, to Indianapolis (IHL) March 30; dropped Jarrod Skalde, c, into black hole sometime in March.

standings:

Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
p-Dallas     82  49  22  11   109  242  167  
x-Detroit    82  44  23  15   103  250  196  
x-St Louis   82  45  29   8    98  256  204  
x-Phoenix    82  35  35  12    82  224  227  
Chicago      82  30  39  13    73  192  199  
Toronto      82  30  43   9    69  194  237  

x - Clinched playoff spot
p - Clinched President's Trophy

game results:

4/09 at St. Louis  L 3-2
4/12 Phoenix       L 2-1    
4/15 at Toronto    L 3-2
4/16 New Jersey    T 1-1
4/18 at Dallas     L 3-1 

team news:

by Tom Crawford, Chicago Correspondent

Proud Run of Mediocrity Ends

For the first time in 29 years, the Blackhawks will not be participating in postseason NHL play. A loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 15, together with a 3-3 tie between San Jose and Calgary, officially eliminated the Hawks from playoff contention and brought a nightmare season to an appropriate end.

Not so long ago it looked like the Hawks would continue in their established modus operandi and hang on to a low playoff seed so they could lose early on to a team with actual talent. On March 25, with only 12 games left to play, Chicago had a comfortable seven-point lead on the ninth-place Sharks. In the ensuing weeks, however, the Hawks managed only two wins, losing to the elite of the league, losing to the bottom-feeders, and losing to everyone in between.

For more on the Blackhawks' collapse, and a look at the impact it could have on players, coaches, executives, and fans, see the incisive, hard-hitting feature " Chicago's House of Blues " elsewhere in these pages.

Russell Injured in Fight

Spectators at Maple Leaf Gardens and TV viewers experienced a tense moment early in the Leafs-Hawks game when Cam Russell lay motionless on the ice for close to 10 minutes after hitting his head on the ice. Russell had been involved in a scuffle with the Leafs' "Albanian Assassin," Tie Domi.

Domi, by far the more able combatant, pulled Russell's jersey over his head, and when Russell lost his balance he was unable to break the fall. Russell was taken to a local hospital but was diagnosed only with a concussion and was allowed to join the team on the flight home.

It sure looked bad at the time, though. My mom thought he was dead.

Sutter Gone, Cheli Staying Put

Brent Sutter made it official April 19, announcing the end of his 17-year NHL career. He did not rule out a return to the league in another capacity, but for now he plans only to work on the family farm in Viking, Alberta.

Here's hoping he has better luck than his brother Darryl, who also returned to the farm after leaving the Hawks. Only weeks after arriving, Darryl fell down the front steps of the farmhouse, sustaining fairly serious head injuries. It is not known if the fall contributed to his misbegotten notion that he could lead the San Jose Sharks to the playoffs.

Chelios, meanwhile, was asked if this season, possibly his worst as a Blackhawk, had driven him to consider retirement. "If I'm starting to lose it, I'll be the first to admit it," he responded, "but I know I can still play at a high level."

"I hope to God I'm a Blackhawk next year," he added later. But Chelios is under contract until he retires, and the chances of his being traded this summer are nonexistent.

News and Notes

Eric Daze, the Hawks' co-leader in goal scoring this year, has been selected to play for Team Canada in the World Championships in Zurich. Chelios and Tony Amonte were invited to play for Team USA, but both understandably declined, citing fatigue, desire to spend time with the family, and a lingering bad taste in the mouth from February's Olympic fiasco... Daze is eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1 and is reported to be asking for a $2 million per season raise...Milestones: Chelios played his 1,000th NHL game April 16, becoming the 128th player to do so. Meanwhile, Gary Suter received his 100th death threat from bitter Team Canada fans since he began eliminating Canadian superstars from world competition ...Ed Belfour summed up the feelings of most Hawks fans when he said of the organization: "It's always been a struggle for money there. When you put money ahead of winning, that's a sad thing. That's not what this game is about."...

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