HEY, LOOK, IT'S THE SEASON-IN-REVIEW ISSUE!
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 GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY  
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Five Star            - ELECTRONIC EDITION -            * * * * * 
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Issue 51                  July 4, 1996       It's like free, man
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1995-96 LCS: Guide to Hockey Post-Season Awards
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     It's summer time here at the offices of LCS. 
That can only mean two things.  First, our case will once again
make its way to the parole board, and, second, it's time to look
back at the past season in the NHL and recognize those players
that had exceptional years.  
     While our awards and the NHL's are similar in many respects,
they also differ on a few counts.  The NHL honors the player by
engraving his name on a very old and respected trophy named after
one of the game's pioneers.  We honor the player by standing
outside his home and chanting his name while throwing back shots
of malt liquor until the cops come chase us away.  Two similar,
yet strikingly odd, traditions.  
     So without further delay, the envelopes, please... 

BEST FORWARD: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins. 
The guy takes a year away from the game and still dominates the
scoring race.  He isn't the same one-on-one player he was back in
the day, Lemieux now chooses to let the game come to him.  He
simply sits back and controls the entire ice surface with his
passing and his intelligence.  Then when the opportunity presents
itself, Lemieux jumps into the hole at the right time for a
scoring chance.  Despite playing in only 70 games, Lemieux led
the league in goals (69), assists (92), points (161), power-play
goals (31), and short-handed goals (8).   

BEST DEFENSEMAN: Chris Chelios, Chicago
Blackhawks.  Chelios is simply the best defenseman in
the game.  LCS used to rip on him for his uncontrollable temper
and the wacky antics that he would get into because of his short
fuse.  However, the MVP of the Hawks has calmed things down in
that regard tremendously over the last two years.  A proud owner
of the captaincy in Chicago, Chelios now carries himself like a
leader on the ice instead of a weasel.  He routinely logs 30-35
minutes in ice time, is air-tight in his own end, anchors the
power play, and is tougher than the Salisbury steak dinner at
Denny's.  Chelios finished fourth among defensemen in scoring
with 14 goals ant 72 points, while recording a +25.

BEST GOALTENDER: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey
Devils.  How Brodeur didn't get a Vezina nomination is a
case for Columbo.  Only the frumpy, cigar-chewing, trench-coat-
wearing, one-eye-wanderin' Peter Falk could get to the bottom of
this one.  The collective trio of Chris Osgood, Jim Carey, and
Daren Puppa isn't even good enough to carry Brodeur's water
bottle, let alone finish ahead of him in Vezina voting.  The 24-
year-old netminder did all he could to keep New Jersey's playoff
hopes alive.  His numbers were exceptional; 34 wins, 2.34 goals-
against average, .911 save percentage, and six shutouts.  The
thing that made Brodeur the best in the game, though, was his
endurance.  He appeared in 77 games for New Jersey, compiling a
league-leading 4,434 minutes in goal.  Grant Fuhr was practically
canonized for starting 79 straight games for the Blues, but
Brodeur, who played 69 more minutes than Fuhr, had his amazing
workload go virtually unnoticed.  

BEST ROOKIE: Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators. 
The 23-year-old Swedish winger wasn't even supposed to make the
Ottawa lineup this season.  Alfredsson impressed the coaching
staff so much during training camp that he earned a spot on the
every-day roster.  Once the door was opened a crack, Alfredsson
barged through to stardom.  Easily the Senators best player, he
led the team, and all rookies, in scoring with 26 goals and 61
points, finishing 22 points ahead of his next closest teammate in
Ottawa.  Alfredsson was also one of only two Senators, Stanislav
Neckar being the other, to appear in all 82 games.  He even
recorded three game-winning goals... hey, Ottawa won three games! 
Alfredsson was a deserving recipient of the Calder Trophy and
gives the Senators a legitimate star of the future.  
 
BEST COACH: Scotty Bowman, Detroit Red Wings.  In
our Season Preview issue back in September, LCS predicted that
the Wings would slip this year.  Well, Scotty Bowman didn't let
that happen.  Detroit ran away with the President's Trophy under
Bowman and set a new record for regular-season wins with 62.  The
only thing tougher than getting to the top in professional sports
is staying there.  Bowman somehow managed to keep the Wings
soaring even after the heart-breaking loss in the Finals to New
Jersey.  His job won't be getting any easier.  After another
disappointing postseason this year, 1996-97 promises to be a
pivotal year for Detroit.  Oh, yeah, he also looks like Squiggy. 
That never hurts. 

BEST GENERAL MANAGER: Pierre Lacroix, Colorado
Avalanche.  If there was a course being taught on how to
be a great hockey GM, Lacroix's performance this past year would
be dissected and studied in classrooms for years to come.  Before
the season started, Lacroix analyzed his team, recognized the
weaknesses, and then addressed each and every one.  The Avalanche
needed playoff experience and leadership; Lacroix gets Claude
Lemieux.  The Avalanche needed an offensive defenseman; Lacroix
gets Sandis Ozolinsh.  The Avalanche needed a proven playoff
goaltender; Lacroix gets Patrick Roy.  Three areas of concern at
the start of the season were swiftly turned into strengths. 
That's how a GM should work.  That's also how teams win
championships.

1995-96 LCS MVP: Gary Roberts, Calgary Flames. 
No one player had a greater impact on his respective club during
the past season than Gary Roberts.  Going back to last year,
Roberts had missed 89 consecutive games recovering from neck
surgery before making his return to the Calgary lineup in
January.  Before his arrival, the Flames were among the worst
teams in the league and hopes for the playoffs were all but
dashed.  Calgary was wallowing in sixth place in the Pacific
Division and eleventh overall in the Western Conference with a
miserable record of 13-22-7.  Then, on January 10, against the
mighty Whale, Roberts strode onto the ice at the Saddledome and
resuscitated the Flames' season.  Just five minutes into his
first game back, Roberts christened his return with a breakaway
goal against Sean Burke.  From that point on, the Calgary season
was reborn. 

Even though he was coming back from a potentially career-ending
neck injury, Roberts continued to play his old fiery brand of
hockey.  When he wasn't busy racking up goals, Roberts was
busting heads and reminding the opposition that the Flames were
no longer going to be doormats.  His intensity spread throughout
the team and soon the Flames were back in the playoff picture. 

Unfortunately, the wear and tear of an NHL schedule caught up to
Roberts with just five games remaining in the season.  He was
once again forced out of the lineup by the same neck injury that
had plagued him over the previous two years.  Without their
emotional leader, the Flames dropped three of their final five
games before being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in the opening
round of the playoffs.  

However, the most devastating blow to the Flames was not the
playoff loss.  Just days after the Stanley Cup was decided,
Roberts announced his retirement.  He simply couldn't play any
longer without risking possible paralysis due to the nerve damage
in his neck.  

Despite the disappointing ending, Roberts' season was truly MVP
calibre.  His numbers were amazing.  In 35 games, Roberts scored
22 goals and 42 points, while finishing at a +15.  Five of the 22
goals were game-winners.  He even threw in 78 minutes in
penalties for good measure.  What makes him the 1995-96 LCS MVP,
however, is the dramatic effect his presence had on the Flames. 
During the first 42 games of the season, before Roberts' return,
Calgary's record was a dreadful 13-22-7.  Over the next 35 games,
with Roberts in the lineup, the Flames went 19-12-4.  It's hard
to believe one man can make that big of a difference, but it's
true.  If more proof is needed, consider that once Roberts left
the lineup late in the season the Flames went 2-7-0 without him.  

The news of Roberts' retirement was greeted with a number of
heavy hearts around the offices of LCS.  He was one of the game's
great players and a personal favorite of ours.  Not only will we
miss him, but the game will surely be lessened by his absence. 
It is only fitting that we honor him with our MVP Award.          



LCS 1995-96 ALL-STAR TEAMS

     Apparently our ballots for the post-season All-Star Teams
also got lost in the mail along with our invitations to the big
awards show in Toronto.  Here's how we would have voted if given
the chance.

FIRST TEAM

Center: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins (70-69-92-
161).  The big guy did it all.

Right Wing: Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins (82-62-
87-149).  With Lemieux slowed a bit, Jagr is the most
physically dominating one-on-one player in the game today.     

Left Wing: Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (82-50-
58-108).  The smallest duck is the mightiest of all.  Speed,
skill, and style, Kariya is one bad man.

Defense: Chris Chelios, Chicago Blackhawks (81-14-58-
72).  He's the best defenseman in the league.

Defense: Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins (82-20-62-
82).  The Bruins were ridiculous at times this season
defensively, but Bourque continued his tradition of excellence.   

Goal: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils (34-30-12,
2.34, .911).  At only 24, Brodeur is already up there with
Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour, and John Vanbiesbrouck in
the league's elite.

SECOND TEAM

Center: Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche (82-51-69-
120).  The leading scorer in the Western Conference recorded
his first 50-goal, 120-point season despite not having any proven
stars on his line. 

Right Wing: Alexander Mogilny, Vancouver Canucks (79-
55-52-107).  Mogilny answered the critics who questioned his
character by single-handedly carrying Vancouver through the loss
of Pavel Bure to a knee injury.

Left Wing: Keith Tkachuk, Winnipeg Jets (76-50-48-
98).  Tkachuk had to deal with a vicious backlash in
Winnipeg thanks to his new multi-million dollar contract, yet
still managed his first 50-goal season.

Defense: Brian Leetch, New York Rangers (82-15-70-
85).  He's not one of our favorites, but Leetch did lead all
defensemen in scoring and deserves recognition.

Defense: Vladimir Konstantinov, Detroit Red Wings (81-
14-20-34).  Detroit's MVP this season, Konstantinov recorded
a career-high 14 goals while finishing at a league-leading +60.

Goal: Grant Fuhr, St. Louis Blues (30-28-16, 2.87,
.903).  No one expected Fuhr to do more than show up
overweight to training camp, but instead he started 79
consecutive games for the Blues and was sensational in earning
new-found respect around the league.


LCS 1995-96 BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS

     When a player suddenly elevates his game to a new level, we
here at LCS take notice.  All these guys have been in the NHL for
at least a year before exploding onto the scene this season. 
These ten guys are the stars of the future.

Doug Weight, Edmonton Oilers (82-25-79-104): 
Weight showed signs of becoming a star in each of the previous
two years with the Oilers, but it wasn't until this season that
he answered superstardom's call.  At 25, Weight recorded his
first 100-point season and became the first Oiler to eclipse that
magical mark in six years.  A crafty playmaker, Weight proved to
be an ideal set-up man for the likes of Zdeno Ciger and Jason
Arnott en route to finishing sixth in the league in assists.  If
the Oilers want to have any hope of making the playoffs in the
near future, they're going to have to shell out some serious
bucks and sign Weight to a long-term deal this off-season.
  
Petr Nedved, Pittsburgh Penguins (80-45-54-99): 
After having a disastrous 1994-95 campaign with the Rangers which
saw him record only 11 goals and 23 points in 46 games, Nedved
finally came into his own with the Penguins this season.  Playing
for his fourth team in his six-year NHL career, Nedved used his
frightening speed and lethal wrist shot to terrorize the
opposition like few players in the league.  This guy has so much
talent it's scary.  The 24-year-old Czech native finished
fourteenth in league scoring and should be a fixture near the top
of the charts for many years to come.      

Zigmund Palffy, New York Islanders (81-43-44-87): 
While this season wasn't pretty for the Fish Stick Boys, a star
was born in Palffy.  Ziggy was the lone offensive force in the
Islander lineup, often dazzling with his smooth skating and
lightening-quick hands.  The Islanders have quite a stable of
young talent with the likes of Palffy, Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan
McCabe, Bryan Berard, Kenny Jonsson, and Eric Fichaud.  Don't
forget about breakthrough player honorable mention, Travis Green,
either.  The 25-year-old center recorded a career-high 69 points
in 69 games this season while working on a line with Ziggy. 
Things might be miserable right now on Long Island, but things
will turn around eventually.  And Zigmund Palffy will be leading
the way.

Alexander "Knuckles" Selivanov, Tampa Bay Lightning
(79-31-21-52):  No longer just an LCS cult hero,
Selivanov became the Lightning's most dangerous offensive weapon
this season.  "Knuckles" led the team with 31 goals and was tied
for the team lead in power-play goals (13) and game-winning goals
(5).  Not scared to mix it up a bit, Selivanov goes hard into the
corners and enjoys camping in front of the net in hopes of
finding a loose puck.  He also has the speed and strength to go
wide and blast a slap shot into the twine.  When LCS looks for a
hero, we know how to pick 'em.  Selivanov wore those lightning
bolts on his pants like a champ this season.  We expect more of
the same in the future.  
     
Matthew Barnaby, Buffalo Sabres (73-15-16-31): 
Good ol' Barnaby Jones used to do whatever was needed in order to
bring criminals to justice.  Like his namesake, Matthew Barnaby
will do whatever it takes in order to deliver his form of two-
fisted justice to the skulls of anyone who crosses the path of
the Buffalo Sabres.  The 6'0", 170-pound winger is hardly a
heavyweight and doesn't look like your average tough guy, but
he'll throw with anyone in the league.  Barnaby appeared in 73
games this season and led the league with 335 minutes in
penalties.  Because of his size, the 23-year-old winger took his
share of lumps this season, but he never backed down from a
challenge.  Often smiling and yapping at his opponents during
fights, Barnaby's tenacity and courage helped earn the Sabres the
label as one of the league's toughest and hardest-working teams. 
He also has some skills, as demonstrated by his 15 goals.  With
Brad May and Rob Ray already on board, Barnaby was just one more
reason for teams to worry when the Sabres came calling.

Robert Svehla, Florida Panthers (81-8-49-57): 
One of the biggest reasons for Florida's amazing success this
year was the play of defenseman Robert Svehla.  In really his
first full year with the club, the 27-year-old Czech native was
one of the club's best players at both ends of the ice.  A
veteran of the Swedish Elite League, Svehla is an excellent
skater and fires a howitzer from the point.  While always
regarded as an offensive talent, Svehla put his defensive game on
display while shutting down Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in the
playoffs.  Svehla is the complete package.
       
Sergei Gonchar, Washington Capitals (78-15-26-
41):  The Wasington Capitals have a tradition of bringing
along offensive defensemen.  The last couple years have seen the
likes of Kevin Hatcher, Al Iafrate, Sylvain Cote, and even Calle
Johansson all ring up impressive numbers from the blue line.  If
this season was any indication of things to come, it looks like
Sergei Gonchar is ready to join the ranks.  The 22-year-old
Russian defender had one of the most underrated seasons in the
league this year.  In just his second full season with the Caps,
Gonchar scored 15 goals and finished at +25.  A good skater and
reliable in his own end, Gonchar has excellent offensive
instincts that allow him to jump into the play at just the right
time.  If he applies himself, Gonchar could be a 20-goal scorer
by next season.

Chris Tamer, Pittsburgh Penguins (70-4-10-14): 
If not for Tamer, the Pittsburgh defense would have been a
complete joke.  The 25-year-old blueliner quickly developed into
the team's best defenseman in only his second full season in the
league.  Often viewed as just a future tough guy, Tamer improved
his defensive game by leaps and bounds this season.  Tamer isn't
a flashy skater or a tremendous offensive talent.  He is,
however, a very steady, reliable, consistent presence in the
defensive zone.  Tamer is also one of the game's best fighters
when provoked, with power in both hands.  Every team is looking
for physical, defensive defenseman to take care of business in
their own end.  Pittsburgh has one of the best young ones around
in Chris Tamer. 
 
Nikolai Khabibulin, Winnipeg Jets (26-20-3, 3.13,
.908, 2 shutouts):  (EDITOR'S NOTE: In honor of our main
man, Nikolai Khabibulin, the rest of the words in this paragraph
about him will be written with a silent 'k')  Kthe knewest KLCS
kcult khero kput kon kquite ka kdisplay kbetween kthe kpipes kfor
kthe Kwinnipeg Kjets kthis kseason.  Khabibulin, kor Khabby kas
khe's kknown kto khis kfriends, kis kone kof kthe kmost kexciting
kgoaltenders kin kthe kleague kto kwatch.  kAn kacrobatic
knetminder, kthe 23-kyear-kold Krussian kwill kdo kwhatever kit
ktakes kto kkeep kthe kpuck kout kof kthe knet.  kHis kbrilliant
kseason kculminated kin kthe kplayoffs kwith ka kmiraculous 50-
save kperformance kagainst kDetroit.  Khabby kis kthe kman. 

Damian Rhodes, Ottawa Senators (10-22-4, 2.77, .906, 2
shutouts):  Ironically, it took a trade to the lowly Ottawa
Senators before Damian Rhodes could step out from the shadow of
Felix Potvin.  Rhodes acted as Potvin's backup for a short time
with St. John's of the AHL before filling the same role with the
Toronto Maple Leafs for the past two years.  The Leafs finally
gave Rhodes a chance to be a number one goalie when they dealt
him to Ottawa in the middle of the season.  Even though playing
goal behind the Senators is hardly the ideal situation, the 27-
year-old netminder rose to the occasion and gave the Senators
top-quality goaltender the rest of the way.  It looks like Rhodes
has finally found his home as a number one man in the NHL.

     Well, that's how we saw it this year... the best players for
this past season, and the players who started to prove that
they'll be the best in the future.  We'll be back in mid-August
with our Player Ratings Issue to paint a complete picture of who
we think are the best players in the league.  
            
    _____________________________________________________
                          CREDITS
   
    Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief
    Zippy the Wonder Chimp.................Computer Boy
    Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter
    Matthew Secosky............................Whatever 
    Dan Hurwitz.............Force for Cultural Hegemony
    John Kreiser.....................Featured Columnist
    Burns and Hensley...............Featured Columnists
    JJ Silverstein.................Hockey Pool Help Guy
    Sandi Trudo...................Anaheim Correspondent
    Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent
    Valerie Hammerl...............Buffalo Correspondent
    Ryan Ferris...................Calgary Correspondent
    Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent
    Matt Gitchell................Colorado Correspondent
    Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent
    Brian Wishnow.................Detroit Correspondent
    Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent
    Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent
    Steve Gallichio..............Hartford Correspondent
    Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent
    Dan Piedra...................Montreal Correspondent
    David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent
    Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent
    The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents
    Andrew Monfried..........Philadelphia Correspondent
    Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent
    Mark Spiegel.................San Jose Correspondent
    Troy Ely....................Tampa Bay Correspondent
    Brad Ross.....................Toronto Correspondent
    Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent
    Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent
    Eric Legault.................Winnipeg Correspondent
    Chris Foreman.........................Correspondent
    Randy Hu..............................Special Guest 
   ---------------------------------------------------- 
   LCS guide to hockey issue 51 July 4 1996.
   Celebrating the day LCS declared its independece from
   Guam. Those bastards are on their own now. Email 
   address: sportif@oak.westol.com  Good ol' postal address: 
   632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. 
   Web Site: http://www.canadas.net/sports/sportif
   ------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------
Hey, Hey, Hey...NEWS!
----------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy The Wonder Chimp

* The NHL Board of Governors approved several rule changes on June 27.  
The rule changes will help NHL officals in various ways.  

Referees will now be allowed to confer with linesmen to settle a possible 
crease violation.  If no decision can be reached, the referee may then 
consult the video goal judge.  

In addition, during any disputed goal, teams will have to return to their 
respective benches and arena music must cease.  Once a decision is reached, 
it will be announced to the entire public via the PA system without an 
explanation given to players or coaches.

In the event of a puck being kicked into the goal, the video goal judge 
may help determine whether the puck was intentionaly directed towards 
the goal.  Goals scored off of a skate will count unless there is a 
distinct kicking motion. 

The board also made changes to penalty designations.  A new category of 
game misconduct for abuse of an offical will be in effect next season. 
If two misconducts of this type are received, a player will earn an
automatic one-game suspension.

Rule changes will also affect instigating penalties.  A player will no
longer be ejected from a contest for a single instigating penalty.  
The first instigating call will carry a 2-minute penalty for instigating, 
a 5 minute major for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct. A second 
instigation in the same game would result in 2- and 5-minute penalties 
and a game misconduct.  A third instigator penalty in a season would 
result in a two-game suspension, a fourth would be four games and a fifth 
would draw eight games. 

*  The NHL announced the 1996 All-Star Teams on June 20 prior to the 
awards ceremony:  

First Team
 Left Wing - Paul Kariya, Anaheim.  
 Center - Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh.   
 Right Wing - Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh.   
 Defensemen - Chris Chelios, Chicago and Ray Bourque, Boston.
 Goalie - Jim Carey, Washington.

Second Team
 Left Wing - John LeClair, Philadelphia.  
 Center - Eric Lindros, Philadelphia.   
 Right Wing - Alexander Mogilny, Vancouver.   
 Defensemen - Brian Leetch, NY Rangers and Vladimir Konstantinov, Detroit. 
 Goalie - Chris Osgood, Detroit.<BR><P>

*  The Los Angeles Kings will have a money-back guarantee next season.  
The Kings are offering a full refund to season ticket holders who are not 
satisfied with the Kings' performance after the team's first regular season 
home game.  Refunds will be given up to a week after the home-opener.      

*  Transactions:

Anaheim - Announced that Angela Gorgone has been promoted to the 
position of assistant to the general manager.

Boston -  Traded defenseman Al Iafrate to the San Jose for 
defenseman Jeff Odgers.  Traded center Shawn McEachern to the Ottawa 
Senators for right wing Trent McCleary and a third-round draft pick 
in the 1996 draft.

Calgary - Acquired center Dave Gagner from the Toronto Maple Leafs 
in exchange for their 1996 third-round draft pick(Mike Lankshear, d).

Colorado - Acquired left wing Eric Lacroix from the Los Angeles 
Kings in exchange for goaltender Stephane Fiset.

Dallas - Acquired defenseman Sergei Zubov from the Pittsburgh Penguins 
in exchange for defenseman Kevin Hatcher.  Made a qualifing offer to center 
Mike Modano. Signed right wing Pat Verbeek.  Signed left wing Dave Reid.

Edmonton - Traded center Tyler Wright to the Pittsburgh Penguins for 
their 1996 seventh-round draft pick.

Hartford - Signed defenseman Alexander Godynyuk to a multi-year 
contract.

Angeles - Traded left wing Eric Lacroix to the Colorado Avalanche 
for goaltender Stephane Fiset.

New Jersey - Acquired goaltender Jeff Reese from the Tampa Bay 
Lightning in exchange for goaltender Corey Schwab.

New York Islanders - Signed defenseman Bryan Berard. 

New York Rangers - Signed defenseman Jeff Beukeboom to a four-year 
contract.  Promoted Larry Pleau to vice president.

Ottawa - Acquired center Shawn McEachern from the Boston Bruins 
for right wing Trent McCleary.

Phoenix - Announced Don Hay has been hired as head coach. Acquired 
right wing Mike Gartner from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for their 
fourth-round draft pick in the 1996 draft(Vladimir Antipov, lw).  Re-signed 
center Craig Janney to a multi-year contract. Signed defenseman Brad 
McCrimmon.  Signed center Cliff Ronning to a three-year contract.  Agreed 
to terms with right wing Mike Gartner on a multi-year contract.  Signed 
goaltender Darcy Wakaluk to a two-year contract.  Re-signed right wing 
Jim McKenzie to a one-year contract.  Re-signed goaltender Dominic Roussel
to a one-year contract.  Did not offer contracts to Eddie Olczyk and Craig 
Muni.

Pittsburgh - Traded defenseman Sergei Zubov to the Dallas Stars for 
defenseman Kevin Hatcher.  Acquired center Tyler Wright from the Edmonton 
Oilers for a 1996 seventh-round draft choice. Signed general manager Craig Patrick to a 
five-year contract.  Signed head coach Eddie Johnston.

St. Louis - Signed left wing Joe Murphy.  Signed goaltender Jamie 
McLennan, defensman David Williams, wingers Scott Pellerin and Jim Campbell and 
center Harry York.  Agreed to terms with centers Peter Zezel and Mike Hudson, 
wingers Rob Pearson and Stephane Matteau.    

San Jose - Acquired defenseman Al Iafrate from Boston for 
defenseman Jeff Odgers.  

Tampa Bay Lightning -  Traded goaltender Jeff Reese to the New Jersey
Devils for goaltender Corey Schwab.

Toronto - Traded right wing Mike Gartner to the Phoenix Coyotes for 
Phoenix's fourth-round 1996 draft pick(Vladimir Antipov, lw).  Traded center 
Dave Gagner to the Calgary Flames for the Flames' third-round draft pick 
in the 1996 draft(Mike Lankshear, d).  Named Mike Murphy head coach.

Washington - Signed goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a three-year contract.


-----------------------------------------------------------
NHL Announces Award Winners
-----------------------------------------------------------
Zippy, Wonder Chimp

The NHL Announced this seasons award winners on June 19 in Toronto.  What 
else is there to say, here are the winners...we had nothing to do with them.
The NHL seems to forget to ask LCS to vote every year, ain't that odd.  

In addition to the actual winners, included are the vote counts for the Hart, Lady Byng and Selke Trophies.  

Awards:

HART TROPHY (MOST VALUABLE PLAYER)
Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins 

VEZINA TROPHY (BEST GOALTENDER) 
Jim Carey, Washington Capitals 

NORRIS TROPHY (TOP DEFENSEMAN)
Chris Chelios, Chicago Blackhawks

CALDER TROPHY (TOP ROOKIE)
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators

LADY BYNG TROPHY (SPORTSMANSHIP)
Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD)
Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings

JACK ADAMS AWARD (COACH OF THE YEAR)
Scotty Bowman, Detroit Red Wings

MASTERTON TROPHY (PERSEVERANCE)
Gary Roberts, Calgary Flames 

Ballot Results

HART TROPHY
(Most valuable player)
Player/Team                 PTS      1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th
-----------                 ---      -------------------
 1. Mario Lemieux, PIT      439         34-10-5-1-1
 2. Mark Messier, NYR       275         10-15-10-6-2
 3. Eric Lindros, PHI       213         2-17-7-12-3
 4. Jaromir Jagr, PIT       156         5-3-10-10-5
 5. Sergei Fedorov, DET      68         0-3-6-4-5
 6. Grant Fuhr, STL          52         1-3-2-2-5
 7. Joe Sakic, COL           52         0-0-6-5-7
 8. Jim Carey, WAS           32         1-0-1-5-2
 9. Paul Kariya, ANA         28         1-1-1-1-3
10. Chris Chelios, CHI       20         0-2-1-0-1
11. Ray Bourque, BOS         13         0-0-1-2-2
12. Martin Brodeur, NJD       9         0-0-1-1-1
13. Peter Forsberg, COL       8         0-0-1-0-3
14. Keith Tkachuk, WIN        6         0-0-0-1-3
15. Theoren Fleury, CGY       5         0-0-1-0-0
16. John LeClair, PHI         5         0-0-1-0-0
17. Daren Puppa, TAM          5         0-0-0-1-2
18. Steve Yzerman, DET        4         0-0-0-1-1
18. Alexander Mogilny, VAN    4         0-0-0-1-1
20. Vlad. Konstantinov, DET   3         0-0-0-1-0
21. Teemu Selanne, WIN/ANA    2         0-0-0-0-2
22. Peter Bondra, WAS         1         0-0-0-0-1
22. Brian Leetch, NYR         1         0-0-0-0-1 
22. Scott Mellanby, FLA       1         0-0-0-0-1 
22. Chris Osgood, DET         1         0-0-0-0-1

LADY BYNG TROPHY
(Most gentlemanly player)
Player/Team                 PTS      1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th
-----------                 ---      -------------------
 1. Paul Kariya, ANA        255         12-13-6-4-2
 2. Adam Oates, BOS         222         10-4-17-2-3
 3. Teemu Selanne, WIN/ANA  200         8-8-8-7-3
 4. Alexander Mogilny, VAN  186         10-8-2-6-2
 5. Joe Sakic, COL           99         4-6-1-3-3
 6. Brian Leetch, NYR        73         2-5-1-3-4
 7. Pat LaFontaine, BUF      59         1-2-4-4-3
 8. Pierre Turgeon, MON      46         0-2-2-6-4
 9. Ron Francis, PIT         40         2-1-2-0-3
10. Nicklas Lidstrom, DET    36         1-1-1-3-5
11. Peter Forsberg, COL      31         1-1-2-1-1
12. Sergei Fedorov, DET      16         1-0-1-0-1
13. Grant Fuhr, STL          15         0-2-0-0-1
14. Igor Larionov, SAN/DET   13         1-0-0-1-0
15. Wayne Gretzky, LOS/STL   12         0-0-0-3-3
16. Mario Lemieux, PIT       10         1-0-0-0-0
17. Ray Sheppard, SAN/FLA    10         0-0-1-1-2
18. Steve Yzerman, DET        9         0-0-1-1-1
19. Kelly Miller, WAS         8         0-0-1-1-0
19. Teppo Numminen, WIN       8         0-0-1-1-0
21. Daniel Alfredsson, OTT    7         0-1-0-0-0
22. John Cullen, TAM          7         0-0-1-0-2
23. Andrew Cassels, HAR       6         0-0-0-2-0
23. Craig Janney, SAN-WIN     6         0-0-0-2-0
25. Ray Bourque, BOS          5         0-0-1-0-0
25. Johan Garpenlov, FLA      5         0-0-1-0-0
27. Robert Kron, HAR          4         0-0-0-1-1
28. Peter Bondra, WAS         3         0-0-0-1-0   
28. Saku Koivu, MON           3         0-0-0-1-0   
30. Eric Desjardins, PHI      2         0-0-0-0-2
31. Doug Brown, DET           1         0-0-0-0-1
31. Murray Craven, CHI        1         0-0-0-0-1 
31. Eric Daze, CHI            1         0-0-0-0-1
31. Pat Falloon, SAN/PHI      1         0-0-0-0-1 
31. Dale Hawerchuk, STL/PHI   1         0-0-0-0-1  
31. John LeClair, PHI         1         0-0-0-0-1  
31. Yanic Perreault, LOS      1         0-0-0-0-1   
31. John Vanbiesbrouck, FLA   1         0-0-0-0-1 

SELKE TROPHY
(Top defensive forward)
Player/Team                 PTS      1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th
-----------                 ---      -------------------
 1. Sergei Fedorov, DET     356         26-10-4-1-3
 2. Ron Francis, PIT        255         12-15-3-5-0
 3. Steve Yzerman, DET       57         1-1-6-3-1
 4. Vincent Damphousse, MON  55         1-2-3-5-1
 5. Trevor Linden, VAN       54         1-3-3-1-5
 6. Claude Lemieux, COL      45         2-1-3-1-0
 7. Joel Otto, PHI           42         1-0-4-3-3
 8. Mark Messier, NYR        32         0-3-1-2-0
 9. Tom Fitzgerald, FLA      31         2-0-1-1-3
10. Adam Graves, NYR         31         0-2-2-2-1
11. Dale Hunter, WAS         30         2-0-0-3-1
12. Brent Sutter, CHI        30         1-1-1-1-5
13. Rob Zamuner, TAM         29         2-1-0-0-2
14. John MacLean, NJD        26         0-3-1-0-0
15. Brian Skrudland, FLA     21         0-1-1-2-3
16. Igor Larionov, SAN/DET   20         1-1-0-1-0
17. Dave Reid, BOS           19         0-2-0-1-2
18. Keith Tkachuk, WIN       19         0-1-1-2-1
19. Doug Gilmour, TOR        16         0-1-1-1-1
20. Eric Lindros, PHI        15         1-0-1-0-0
21. Rod Brind'Amour, PHI     14         0-0-2-1-1
21. Shjon Podein, PHI        14         0-0-2-1-1
23. Vyacheslav Kozlov, DET   13         1-0-0-1-0
24. Peter Forsberg, COL      13         0-0-1-2-2
25. Jaromir Jagr, PIT        12         0-1-1-0-0
26. Murray Craven, CHI       12         0-0-2-0-2
27. Pat Verbeek, NYR         11         0-1-0-1-1
28. Petr Nedved, PIT         10         0-1-0-1-0
29. Adam Oates, BOS          10         0-0-1-1-2
30. Kelly Miller, WAS         9         0-1-0-0-2
31. Jeremy Roenick, CHI       8         0-1-0-0-1
32. Mats Sundin, TOR          8         0-0-1-1-0
33. Troy Murray, COL          7         0-1-0-0-0
34. Jamie Baker, SAN          6         0-0-1-0-1  
34. Bill Guerin, NJD          6         0-0-1-0-1 
36. Steve Konowalchuk, WAS    6         0-0-0-2-0 
37. Kelly Buchberger, EDM     5         0-0-1-0-0
37. Theoren Fleury, CGY       5         0-0-1-0-0 
37. John LeClair, PHI         5         0-0-1-0-0
37. Craig MacTavish STL/PHI   5         0-0-1-0-0
37. Brendan Shanahan HAR      5         0-0-1-0-0
42. Bill Lindsay, FLA         4         0-0-0-1-1
42. Michal Pivonka, WAS       4         0-0-0-1-1         
42. Mike Sullivan, CGY        4         0-0-0-1-1
45. Bob Carpenter, NJD        3         0-0-0-1-0
45. Kris Draper, DET          3         0-0-0-1-0
45. Martin Gelinas, EDM       3         0-0-0-1-0  
45. Niklas Sundstrom, NYR     3         0-0-0-1-0
45. German Titov, CGY         3         0-0-0-1-0
50. Mark Recchi, MON          2         0-0-0-0-2
51. Bob Errey, DET            1         0-0-0-0-1
51. Brent Gilchrist, DAL      1         0-0-0-0-1 
51. Markus Naslund, PIT/VAN   1         0-0-0-0-1 

----------------------------------------------------------   
Mario's Magnificent Return
----------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Iovino

     Had Mario Lemieux not come back to play for the Pittsburgh
Penguins during the 1995-96 season, many hockey fans across the
world wouldn't have been too upset.  They already had excepted
what seemed as the inevitable. 
     At the age of 30, Lemieux has had enough vivid memories in
his life, both on and off the ice, to make an excellent movie
script.  There were the early years in Pittsburgh when the
french-speaking kid was forced to carry a financially-decrepit
hockey team on his back.  There were the numerous back problems
that plagued him his entire career.  There were the two Stanley
Cup victories that silenced his critics far and wide.  And then
there was the cancer that sucked up all of his energy and came
oh-so close to prematurely ending his days in the NHL. 
     And for a while, it looked like Lemieux's script was
packaged up and shipped to Hollywood.  When the 1995 season
arrived, Lemieux was nowhere to be found.  He had taken the
year off to recover from all his ailments and contemplate his
future, which didn't seem to include hockey. 
     But, obviously Lemieux thought that there were several more
chapters in his life that needed to be written before he called
it quits.  After watching his former teammates struggle in the
1995 postseason and losing in the second round to the eventual
Cup-winning New Jersey Devils, the fire to compete returned
inside Lemieux, and he vowed to make one final comeback to
the world of ice hockey. 
     Lemieux started on a weight training program that
significantly increased his muscle mass and arrived at training
camp in the fall in the greatest shape of his life.  And the move
paid off.  Despite missing a game here or there as a precaution,
Lemieux's back held up for the entire season. 
     The superstar center was able to play in 70 regular season
games, the most since the 1988-89 season in which he suited up
for 76 games.  That 1988-89 season was arguably Lemieux's
best.  He amassed his highest point total ever, 199, and the most
goals of his career, 85. 
     Although this past season didn't come close to his numbers
eight seasons ago, they were just as impressive due to the
problems he's had to deal with over the past year.  Lemieux
scored a league-leading 69 goals and 92 assists for 161 points,
tops in the league.  He also scored his 500th goal and 800th
assist of his career. 
     At times, Lemieux looked like the dominating "Super Mario"
of old, like when he racked up a goal and six assists in a game
against Tampa Bay on Nov. 1.  Or when he scored five goals
and two assists against the St. Louis Blues during a game in late
March.  Or when he scored on a shot between his legs against
Vancouver in February.  The highlights could go on and on. 
     Lemieux thought before the season that he would only play
50-60 games this year.  But after dominating opponents early in
the season and not feeling much pain in his back or showing
signs of fatigue from the radiation treatment, he started to
believe he was fully recovered and felt free of all the pain and
suffering that has tried to drag him down for a very long time. 
Lemieux got the jump in his stride and never looked back. 
     But despite all of his greatness on the ice this season,
those who have watched Lemieux closely throughout his career know
he wasn't the same kind of player he used to be. 
     No longer could Lemieux dominate games at even-strength like
he could during the Cup years.  His speed didn't allow him to
break away from opponents or burn them to the outside like
he used to.  Other teams quickly learned that Lemieux's main
weapon was the power play. 
     When Lemieux had the man-advantage, he generated 79 points
(31 goals), at even strength, he posted 73 points (30 goals). 
Incredibly, Lemieux was on the ice for 103 of the Penguins' 109
power-play goals during the regular season (94.5%). 
     His teammates and coaches didn't want to admit it, but it
seemed Lemieux had lost a step from a few years ago.  His 161
points still show he's one of the greatest to play the game, but
that number also looks scary to people who think what could have
been. 
     Without the painful back problems and cancer that has never
allowed him to play a full season in the NHL, Lemieux could have
taken a shot at Wayne Gretzky's all-time point record.  Even with
the problems he's had, Lemieux was still the second fastest
player to score 500 goals.  Lemieux did it in 605 games, Gretzky
managed it in just 575 games.  Lemieux also holds the highest
goals-per-game average in history (.842). 
     Now that Lemieux is 30, his chance at surpassing Gretzky has
passed.  However, no matter what critics have said, Lemieux will
not stop playing just because he can't eclipse Gretzky's
individual records.  Lemieux came back this past season for just
one reason, to win the Stanley Cup.  Had his team not been
knocked out by the Florida Panthers in the semi-finals and
instead gone on to win the Cup, Lemieux would probably have ended
his career right then and there. 
     But as it turns out, like Gretzky, it looks like Lemieux
will be back for at least one final season to bring home one
final Cup.  And hockey fans across the world should thank him for
doing so.  It's their chance to be amazed by his talents on the
ice and admire the perseverance and determination it took to
become and stay one of the most gifted players the game has ever
seen. 
     Enjoy the time while it lasts, because there will never,
ever, be another Mario Lemieux. 


----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Kariya Adds to List of Awards
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Sandi Trudo

     The awards just keep coming for the Anaheim Ducks superstar
winger, Paul Kariya. He capped of the season by picking up the
NHL's Lady Byng Trophy, was named as a 1996 NHL First-Team
All-Star and was LCS's selection as the Ducks' MVP. Of course,
awards are nothing new to this talented 22-year-old. Last season
Kariya was named to the NHL All-Rookie team and was a finalist
for the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL's Rookie of the
Year. 
     The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded annually to recognize
"sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high
standard of playing ability." The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is
selected in a poll by the Professional Hockey Writers Association
at the end of each NHL season. Other finalists for the award this
year were Mighty Ducks of Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne and
Boston Bruins center Adam Oates. 
     "Being named as a First Team All-Star and winning the lady
Byng are tremendous honors," said Kariya. "It's a great feeling
and I'm thankful for the honor." 
     Paul capped off his incredible season by nailing his
fiftieth goal in the final game of the season which also tied him
with linemate Teemu Selanne for the Ducks' team scoring title.
When he hit the 50-goal mark he became the 14th youngest player
in NHL history (he was 21 at the time) to reach the lofty
plateau. He also qualified for the Ducks' ironman award having
appeared in all 82 games this season and adding 55 assists for an
impressive 108 point while compiling only 20 penalty minutes. 
     The Kariya collection of accomplishments gets even bigger
when you add in all of Kariya's team awards and compare him to
the rest of the league. He became the first-ever Mighty Duck to
earn NHL Player-of-the-Month honors after he knocked in seven
goals and added as many assists for 14 points in seven games
during April. Kariya was also named NHL Player of the Week for
the first week of April (3 g, 7 pts, 7 gp). The 5-11, 180-pound
left wing finished the season ranked among NHL leaders and tied
for seventh overall with linemate Selanne in scoring, seventh in
goals, second in power-play goals (20), fifth in game-winning
goals (9) and fourth in shots (349). 

Kariya's 1995-95 Season Highlights

* Became Anaheim's all-time leader in points (147), goals (68),
assists (79), and shots (483). 

* Posted 32 multiple-point games, including 11 three-point games
and two four-point games.

*Recorded two nine-game point streaks and one seven-game point 
streak.

* Appeared and started in his first NHL All-Star Game.

* Set or tied 19 Ducks records this season.

* One of only two Ducks players to appear in all 82 games.

* Earned points in 63-of-82 appearances (76.8%). 

* Served as an alternate captain.

* Earned three overtime goals.


     And here's a look at what Anaheim's brightest star, Paul
Kariya, had to say on a variety of topics.

Q: You took some negative hits from the press. How has that
affected you?

A: I don't know where that comes from, but l am a very private
person and I like my own space at times. I want my own time and
space and sometimes people misconstrue that or if I am not very
congenial, that is just my nature. I am not a very open person.
It takes time to actually know me. You have to remember as well,
that I am 21 years old and this is my first time in the NHL with
this much media and fan attention. I guess I have lots to learn
in that respect. So just like on the ice, when I am improving in
my game, shooting the puck and things like that, I have to
improve things off the ice.

Q. With Gretzky's departure from the west, is there an increased 
spotlight on the Ducks now that the Kings have kind of stepped
back?

A: I think now that Gretzky has gone, I think it sort of has
shifted the focus to our team. But you also have to remember 
that while Gretzky was still here, we were selling out and
getting a lot of exposure as well. 

Q. Paul, you have mentioned that the future of the team looks
bright with the addition of Teemu Selanne. What is your response
to the criticism the team may have given up to much youth (Oleg
Tverdovsky and Chad Kilger) for him.

A: Certainly they are great players and, who knows, they might be 
superstars in our league. But you have to remember that Teemu is
a superstar right now. He is one of the beat players in the
league and he is only 25. It's not like we traded two guys away
for a 32-year-old at the twilight of his career. As far as I am
concerned, Teemu is on the up and up and he has a great future. I
think it was great, and everyone in the dressing room thought
that and they were excited about it as well.

Q: You have always been a great playmaker. When did you decide
that you had to become more of a goal scorer and what have you
done over the last year or so  to became more of a goal scorer?

A: The first year here in Anaheim I realized pretty quickly that
we didn't have a lot of natural goal scorers on the team and the 
coaching staff wanted me to start shooting the puck more. They
told me to start creating offense by simplifying my game and by
just getting my shots on. Since that time I have worked hard,
during practice and the summer, on my shot and my release. It
seemed to help a lot.

Q. Do you see a brighter future for the Mighty Ducks of  Anaheim
now that Teemu Selanne is on the team?

A: The future is definitely looking very bright here. Hopefully,
I can get back to doing some of the things that I did before in
terms of playmaking and passing the puck a little bit more. Maybe
make some prettier plays, which I'm sure the fans will enjoy.
Like I said, it's going to be real exciting the next couple of
years. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Great Escape
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Randy Hu

     Last week, Wayne Gretzky decided to reject the incredible 
shrinking contract offers made by the Blues, thus ending his 15
minutes of fame (actually 31 games) in St. Louis.  
     "We were not able to arrive at mutually agreeable terms, but
the decision was not based on economic factors," said Gretzky's
agent, Mike Barnett.  
     Gretzky is currently an unrestricted free agent after
spurning a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't hyper-inflated $23-
million, 3-year deal by the Blues -- not exactly sweatshop wages. 
It's almost certain that he won't get an offer from any team near
that figure. 
     Blues president Jack Quinn and coach/GM Mike Keenan were 
confident they could sign the un-Great-ful One since he arrived
here with much overblown hype from the LA Kings on February 27.
 
     "We felt our offer was fair for both Wayne and the St. Louis
Blues," said Quinn. "However, at this time, the choice is Wayne's
to make and we wish him all the best." 
     Whichever team he ends up on, it will be his fourth NHL team
and his third in less than a year. The speculation over where
Gretzky will go has named Phoenix the early front-runner,
followed by Vancouver, Anaheim, Toronto and Detroit. Gretzky has
also hinted at finishing his career with former teammate Mark
Messier and the New York Rangers. 
     Gretzky was sensitive about the whiner tag and journeyman
label that tarnished his image upon his demand to leave LA, but
he has left himself uncharacteristically vulnerable for his
critics.  Is Gretzky really Ozzie Smith on skates? 
     The inevitable clash of controlling egos festered between 
Gretzky and Keenan during the playoffs as Keenan berated Gretzky
in front of his teammates, culminating in Gretzky blowing off a
mandatory season-ending team meeting.  Brett Hull warned Gretzky
about Keenan's dictatorial style of coaching, but they thought
they could overcome him by scoring early and often.   At times,
Gretzky flashed his magic wand with Hull, but not nearly enough
to meet expectations.  In the end, Gretzky was just another
pampered menial whose spirit and soul was broken by Keenan. 
     In reality, both parties are at fault, spitting out true
lies.  The Blues should never have traded a big chunk of their
future for Gretzky without assurances of getting him under
contract.  Both Keenan and Quinn should ultimately be held
accountable for this blunder and the "quick-fix" company
philosophy that makes the organization the laughingstock of the
league.  Keenan's reputation for his harsh treatment of players
is spreading around the league (he was denied involvement in the
World Cup hockey tournament this summer) and he has to offer more
money than other teams to attract the top free agents. And now,
Keenan has laid Hull's head on the trading block this summer.

     As for Gretzky himself, I said from the start that his
skills had diminished somewhat and he wasn't worth near the money
he was demanding.  He wanted to coast to another Stanley Cup
ring, but found out that without a supporting cast, he had to
work for it in St. Louis.  Now the Gretzky sweaters will rest in
mothballs next to all of the Jerome Bettis jerseys.  
     In financial terms, Gretzky's earnings allocated to the
1995-96 season were $6.5 million, but out of that only $2 million
was in base salary.  The rest came in the form of a $4.5-million
signing bonus, in which the Kings were responsible for the entire
amount.  The Blues had Gretzky for 47 of the NHL's 191 regular
season days this season and were on the hook for only $492,000.

     Then there's the effect Gretzky had on Blues' attendance.  
Officially, the Blues were averaging 18,902 through 32 home games
before the Gretzky trade, but paid attendance was closer to
16,500.  When word of the trade came down, the Blues sold out the
remaining nine games at the Kiel Center which represents an
average of about 3,000 more fans per game.  At an average Blues
ticket price of $42, that added over an additional $1 million in
revenue to the Kiel Center books, which close on July 31.  The
decision to put all TV games on Prime Sports, expand pay-per-view
TV, and increase ticket prices will upset fans further. 
     Gretzky continues to register 100-point seasons, but the 
assumption that his presence automatically elevates the level of
play of those around him is no longer a given.  He didn't do it
with the Kings, nor with the Blues. 
     There's enough blame to go around for everyone.  

EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is the St. Louis correspondent for
columnist Stan Fischler of the Hockey News and can be reached at
rhu@gene.com  



----------------------------------------------------------------
Sunbelt Excitement 
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Chris Foreman

     The 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the regular season that
proceeded it, were among the most exciting in league history. 
From the inspirational comebacks by Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux
and Calgary's Gary Roberts, to some earth-shaking trades, to
the Detroit Red Wings' record-setting victory total, to the
collapse of the defending-champion New Jersey Devils, spectators
received a taste of every possible emotion that is involved with
the roller-coaster ride that is the National Hockey League.  
     In the middle of the entire extravaganza was the rise to
prominence for two Florida organizations.  Yes, in case you have
been vacationing on Mars, or blinked in the past four years, the
NHL has expanded into the south, and successfully.  Ten years ago
the inclination that a hockey team would call the Sunshine state
home was ludicrous.  It was the NHL's perception that
professional hockey could never become a viable sport in most of
the warmer markets, especially Florida. 
     Along came Gary Bettman, who jumped over from the NBA where
his marketing strategies helped to build the league into the
mega-giant financially that it is today.  Bettman took on the
challenge of promoting the dynamic sport of hockey in cities
where it is mostly unknown or misunderstood.  The majority of
these places had never seen a puck and, as long-time fans can
testify, didn t know what they were missing.  
     Well, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning both
broke through this season and now it's fans in Hartford, Long
Island, and Edmonton who don't know what they're missing (the
three teams have been unable to acquire a postseason position
recently).  Each shocked the hockey world in securing playoff
spots.  For Florida it took only three years.  Tampa Bay needed
four. 
     Florida's story is now well-known to anyone who sat down in
front of a television since mid-April when the post-season party
began.  A few years ago the name Huizenga was so foreign to the
people of South Florida that upon hearing it they would respond,
"God bless you."  That's understandable mistake, as folks thought
you were sneezing, not referring to a hockey franchise's owner. 
After completing the longest journey of an expansion team this
early into its lifetime, a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in its
third season of existence, the name prompts the response, "God
bless you, Wayne!"  
     Yes, it has been an amazing season for the Florida Panthers,
but the success would have come if they were in Portland or
Nashville, had they moved as Huizenga had pondered throughout the
season.  The organization was sound with President Bill Torrey,
who owns four rings from championships with the New York
Islanders in the early eighties, and General Manager Bobby
Clarke, who hoisted two Cups as captain of the Philadelphia
Flyers in the seventies.  Although Clarke returned to
Philadelphia, the Panthers union remains strong.   
     The aspect that made this season special for South Florida
was the fans who passed through the turnstiles.  Huizenga planned
on leaving if a new stadium could not be constructed, due to a
poor working agreement with the Miami Heat of the NBA to share
Miami Arena.  The Panthers saw a limited amount of return from
concessions and were said to be losing a minimum of $1 million a
month.  The crowds, and overall area, supported the team all
season long filling 94% of the arena's 14,703 seating capacity. 
The playoff frenzy even led to the temporary re-naming of Third
Avenue to Stanley Cup Drive for the duration of the postseason.
  
     Attendance wasn't the entire problem though. Florida has
drawn well in each of its first three seasons. The turning point
came in March when Broward County stepped up to the plate and
offered to assemble a new $212-million arena in the city of
Sunrise.  The proposed 20,000-seat stadium is expected to be
ready by the start of the 1997-1998 campaign.  It will be located
next to Sawgrass Mills, which is regarded as the world's
largest outlet mall, fifteen minutes west of Fort Lauderdale. 
     The new building ensures that the Panthers will stay put in
South Florida.  Unlike New Jersey, Florida figures to be a force
again next year. Coach Doug MacLean, an Adams Award candidate as
the NHL's top bench jockey, did a fantastic job in keeping
the players' heads in the game and working relentlessly.  The
last quarter of the regular season made a few people forget about
their tremendous jump off of the starting blocks in October, and
may have cost MacLean the honor, but as the playoffs proved, it
was a fluke. 
     A payroll of $16 million allows some room to take on a free-
agent contract or the addition of a big-name player via the trade
route.  Backup netminder Mark Fitzpatrick and Ray Sheppard are
the only major free agents, but both, depending on their asking
price, are likely to be back with the team.  Their  nucleus is
considered to be goaltender and local legend, John Vanbiesbrouck,
wingers Scott Mellanby and Rob Neidermayer,
centerman Stu Barnes, and rearguards Ed Jovanovski and Robert
Svehla.                      
     Tampa Bay's success story is short.  That's because the
future was bleak after three seasons of frustration.  They were
far from respectability, unable to approach the .500 mark. 
Organizational depth was weak overall and there was a lack of
solid prospects. 
     The Lightning has had very little prosperity result from
their first-round selections.  Roman Hamrlik has improved his
stock, and was a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team,
but his attitude continues to be questioned.  Chris Gratton and
Jason Weimer have developed slowly, and could turn either corner
transforming into a star, or a bust.   
     The tight expansion draft for Tampa Bay and the Ottawa
Senators prevented established  teams from losing many vital
parts (Florida and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks benefitted the next
summer from a better draft pool).  Since picking up some quality
youngsters in an expansion draft is near impossible, and the
entry picks failed to make an impact, the Lightning was left with
having to play many veterans. 
     Despite the absence of victories, the Tampa Bay area has
taken to its Lightning and filled the stands.  The inaugural
season was played at the cramped 10,425-seat Expo Hall at the
Florida State Fairgounds.  Hardly a feat to be proud of, in such
a small facility, but they did manage to draw 96.2% capacity. 
The next season they moved into the Florida Suncoast Dome, later
renamed the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg.  The dome, designed
for a minor league baseball, team has a seating capacity of
26,000. 
     The past two seasons have seen a sharp increase of
spectators.  During the strike-shortened 1994-1995 season, the
Lightning averaged 19,941 fans for their 24 home dates,
second only to the Chicago Blackhawks, who debuted the United
Center.  This season, attendance fell, but still ranked fourth in
the NHL with 18,888 on average coming to watch.  
     Those are impressive numbers for a fourth-year team, but the
true sign of the support hockey and the Lightning had came during
their first-round series with the Flyers.  On April 21st, Game
Three of the series, and Tampa Bay's first home playoff
experience, an NHL record 25,945 packed the dome to watch the
Lightning take a 2-1 series lead.  Two nights later, Tampa Bay
re-set the mark at 28,183 in a standing-room-only affair. 
     This fall the Lightning will unveil the Ice Palace, its
first actual hockey arena, in downtown Tampa.  Fans will not only
be attracted to the new stadium to visit the state-of-the-art
facilities, but will also see a playoff-caliber unit as well.  
     Center Brian Bradley, wingers Alexander Selivanov, Brian
Bellows, and Petr Klima, defenseman Roman Hamrlik, and Vezina
finalist for top goalie, Daren Puppa comprise Tampa Bay's core.
1995 first-round pick Daymond Langkow, a center, is projected as
a future star and could ignite the offense. 
     The off-season also could see the Lightning lighting up the
trade wires.  Now that head coach Terry Crisp, also an Adams
finalist, has returned for three more years, their main concern
is out of the way.  Crisp was being courted by numerous teams,
most notably the Toronto Maple Leafs.            
     While the success on the ice was unforeseen by even the best
predictors, the way the sport has flourished may be even more
astounding.  Players like Vanbiesbrouck and Bradley conduct camps
to teach kids the game, and are excellent ambassadors for the
good folks of Florida.  This once labeled "danger" zone is now
the place to be with roller hockey during the summer and game-day
festivities in both cities, meaning it's not just a game, it's an
all-day event.  Who would have guessed... Florida's a fantastic
home for the coolest game on earth after all! 


------------------------------------------------------------------
Touring the Season
------------------------------------------------------------------
by Dan Hurwitz

     What a year the 1995-96 season proved to be!  And what a
trip my 1996 pilgrimage to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
proved to be, as well.  Not sure which of the two inspired me
more as we headed into this year-in-review issue of LCS: 
Guide to Hockey, I decided, hey, I'm creative.  Let's do
both. 
     We begin our tour by purchasing our tickets.  Fortunately,
the NHL steered pretty clear, or so it would seem, of money
issues.  At least there was no lockout or strike by any
particular union in 95-96.  Of course, there were holdouts and
negotiations, which led to Claude Lemieux's winning two straight
Stanley Cups with two different teams and a number of players
arriving late for training camp.  Winnipeg could not afford to
keep a team and Hartford learned the team it owned is actually
just on loan for the next couple of years.  But since this trip
is going to be a fun one, how about we just look at our NHL
Mastercard, conveniently employed to gain the price of admission,
and say, "way to go, marketing folks." 
     Just past the turnstiles, we come to The Toronto Sun Great
Moments Zone.  Sure, there's Bobby Orr's famous goal, recently
voted hockey's greatest moment.  But how about the moments we
encountered this past year?  Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and
Steve Yzerman each scored their 500th goals this season.  Peter
Nedved ended the third-longest overtime playoff game in history
with a guided-missile wrister from the point.  Scott Mellanby
killed a rat on opening night and a tradition (such as it was)
was born. 
     Straight ahead at the Hockey Hall is The Marquee Zone. 
Great players and events are on display here.  But it is the
display we turn to most at this point.  The continuation of the
"Coolest Game on Earth" campaign and the playoff ads, "Get Cup
Crazy," gained hockey some tremendous visibility.  Bitter rivals
Twentieth Century Fox and Disney came together and promoted each
others' broadcasts of hockey games on Fox's NHL on Fox and ESPN's
National Hockey Night and "Fire on Ice."  Mario Lemieux's return
gave the NHL a healthy boost and a successful first year, both on
and off the ice, for Colorado's second hockey franchise indicated
expanding appeal.  On top of all that, it seems Nike has even
begun to use hockey players as spokespeople.  Way to go, again, 
marketing boys. 
     A very special exhibit available in the next room.  The
Blockbuster Video Dressing Room Zone recreates the Montreal
Canadiens' locker room from the old Forum.  Any fan who has never
seen this behind-the-scenes look at where the players go when the
buzzer sounds should rush right on down to see it.  But this
year, it took on new meaning.  The Forum closed, and the Habs
moved over to the sparkling new Molson Centre.  The ceremony
featured many of the Montreal greats whose likenesses appear
above the lockers around the room.  The same sense of tradition
which can be felt even in the replica dressing room was
heightened the night the Forum fell, as Pierre Turgeon was handed
the torch which was used to ignite a new age in a new building.
     As we head out through the strength training area, we come
to The International Zone, highlighting the great leagues and
players worldwide.  And what a year NHL players from outside of
North America had!  Peter Forsberg, the Swede who scored the
gold-medal winning goal two years ago at the Olympics, was a key
member of the Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche.  Russian
goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin shored up the Jets/Coyotes' last
line of defense.  Finnish Flash Teemu Selanne landed in Anaheim,
giving the Mighty Ducks a lethal offense for the coming season. 
Jaromir Jagr continued to excel, finishing second in the scoring
race behind teammate Mario Lemieux. 
     Immediately adjacent to this area is The Ford North America
Zone.  Hockey's popularity continued to rise across the continent
as two brand new venues, Colorado and South Florida, hosted the
Finals.  Roller hockey, street hockey and youth ice hockey have
continued to flourish and grow, expanding into areas they
previously did not exist in.  Playoff MVP Joe Sakic became the
pride of British Columbia and the former winner of the Hobey
Baker Award for best U.S. College Hockey player, Paul Kariya of
the Mighty Ducks, won the Lady Byng Trophy for skill and
sportsmanship. 
     Next door lies the TSN/RDS Broadcast Zone, where the control
room for a live hockey telecast is recreated and fans can climb
into one of four mockup broadcast booths and call highlights in
English or French of some of the greatest goals in history.  
Broadcasting expanded this year as much, if not more than the
sport itself.  One particular Avalanche road playoff game, shown
only on cable, captured a 40 share of the viewing audience in the
Denver market, where the previous year there had been no hockey.
ESPN, the Deuce and Fox continued to expand their hockey coverage
and NHL2Night became a must-see for hockey fans every night in
its second season.  On top of that, television commercials for
products ranging from athletic wear to deodorant to credit cards
have begun to feature NHL players more prominently than ever, and
the Foxtrax, while controversial, does seem to have attracted a
few straggling fans to the game. 
     Tucked in behind the booths is the Hartland Molson Theatre. 
This mini-cinema which shows short documentary pieces reminds us
that this was the year that "Sudden Death," a mainstream film set
during a Stanley Cup Finals game and featuring real NHL players
was moderately successful at the box office.  It ain't just a
cult sport anymore, fellas. 
     Crossing back through the broadcast section, we come to The
Arena Zone, where the uniforms and buildings of the NHL's 26
franchises are featured, as well as historical mementos from each
franchise's past.  This was the year that third jerseys appeared
in Pittsburgh, Boston, Anaheim, Vancouver and Los Angeles, thus
taking a sales page out of baseball's book.  This was also the
year the Capitals turned more regal, the Islanders made us
seasick with the fisherman/wave design, and the Bruins tampered
with a classic jersey.  Similarly, new buildings sprung up in
Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, with new ones on the way in
Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Florida.  Additionally,
within these buildings, bad bounces and worse sightlines have
been addressed with the addition of seemless glass. 
     A highlight for younger visitors to the Hall is the
Coca-Cola Rink Zone.  Here, virtual reality games allow shooters
and goalies to suddenly appear in game action, and a particularly
nifty innovation allows would-be goaltenders to attempt to stop
shots taken by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.  Both Gretz and
Mess made some noise this year.  Wayne forced his trade after
eight years in Los Angeles to the St. Louis Blues, and watched
his new team apparently get worse since his arrival.  Now we
don't know if Gretzky will stay in St. Louis or move to any
number of greener pastures.  Messier, on the other hand, had what
might have been a career year, which is impressive at 35. 
Unfortunately, in the year he netted his 500th goal, he ws
injured late in the season and could not lead his troops past the
Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.  Interestingly,
these two former teammates may be reunited should Gretzky sign
with the Rangers, which has been a rumor now for several weeks.
     Waaaaay at the other end of the building is a staircase
which leads up to what can only be described as a temple.  Within
lie the awards most coveted by hockey players, and in the middle,
sitting right there for your groping pleasure, is the Stanley
Cup.  Much as I held the Cup for the first time during my visit,
so too did most of the Avalanche, who won the Cup for the first
time in franchise history.  The Hart Trophy, also located in this
room, was awarded to Mario Lemieux, who continues to dazzle us 
with his scoring touch while boring us with tales of his possible
retirement.  Scott Bowman regained the Adams Trophy for the
record-breaking 62 wins his Red Wings accomplished in the regular
season, and Chris Chelios's capture of the Norris Trophy may have
symbolized the return of old-time hockey. 
     Alas, though, it was then time to leave the Hall and head
out onto Yonge Street.  But not before passing through the Spirit
of Hockey gift shop.  I've said enough about marketing but not
nearly enough about the Hall.  Folks, get yourselves there,
because it is so worth it.  Even non-fans can be moved to
purchase officially liscensed merchandise after only a couple of
hours in the building.  As for the year that was, we'll remember
it for all sorts of reasons.  Now, however, it's time to sit back
and get ready for the year that will be. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phillips Leads Draft Hopefuls
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by Joe Ashkar

     In front of nearly 8000 fans who braved the 96-degree humid
weather, the Ottawa Senators selected Prince Albert defenseman
Chris Phillips with the top overall pick in the 1996 NHL Entry
Draft hosted at Kiel Center.  St. Louis became only the seventh
city to host a draft, an All-Star game (1988), and Stanley Cup
championship (1968-1970). 
     Phillips' selection marked the first time in draft history
that a defenseman has been selected first overall in three
consecutive years.  The Florida Panthers made Ed Jovanovski the
first overall selection in 1994, followed by Ottawa's selection
of Bryan Berard in 1995. 
     The 6-2, 200-pound Phillips, who was ranked number one by
the NHL's Central Scouting Service, should provide plenty of help
to a lowly Ottawa defense that was amongst the league's worst
over the past few seasons.  Phillips has a great mix of offense
and defense while adding a physical presence on the ice. 
     "I try to style my game after Chris Chelios, he's a great
two-way defenseman, he likes a physical game and gets involved,
that's the way I like to play." said the 18-year-old Phillips.

     In similar manner to the first pick, the selection of a
defenseman with the second pick also marked the first time in
draft history that a defenseman was selected second overall for
three straight years.  That honor belonged to Russian Andrei
Zyuzin who was picked by the San Jose Sharks. 
     Some scouts and General Managers spoke highly of the
offensive-minded Russian as the most talented defenseman in the
draft and often billing him as the next Ray Bourque. Zyuzin
played for Ufa in the Russian league but he dazzled the scouts at
the World Junior Championships where he recorded a goal and four
assists in seven games. 
     The New York Islanders selected left winger Jean-Pierre
Dumont from Val d'Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Dumont, who was ranked third by the Central Scouting Bureau, had
48 goals and 105 points in only 66 games.  It was a bit of a
surprise that the Islanders did not select russian-born forward
Alexandre Volchkov. Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury
thought highly of Volchkov but did not like his attitude on and
off the ice. 
     With the fourth pick, the Washington Capitals almost ran out
of time before taking a chance on Volchkov who earlier in the
year was considered the best prospect available and ranked No.1
by various scouting services.  Volchkov, who can play all three
forward positions, excelled for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario
Hockey League.  The Capitals later added Czech right winger
Jaroslav Svejkovsky with the 17th pick. 
     The Dallas Stars opted for flashy defenseman Richard Jackman
of Sault Ste. Marie.  Later in the draft, the Stars obtained
defenseman Sergei Zubov from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange
for Kevin Hatcher. 
     Glen Sather and the Edmonton Oilers looked no further than
the Kitchener Rangers to select hometown center Boyd Devereaux
with the 6th pick. 
     The Buffalo Sabres drafted next and selected Erik Rasmussen,
a 6-1 200-pound power forward from the University of Minnesota.

     Four defensemen were selected with the following four picks.
The Boston Bruins picked Jonathan Aitken, The Mighty Ducks of
Anaheim got the oldest player in the draft, 21-year-old Ruslan
Salei.  The New Jersey Devils and the new Phoenix Coyotes
completed the raid on defensemen by respectively selecting Lance
Ward and Dan Focht. 
     The Vancouver Canucks were happy to see that Regina center
Josh Holden was still available and did not hesitate to pick the
talented forward with the 12th pick.  Holden was ranked fourth by
the Central Scouting Service. 
     The Calgary Flames shocked the hockey world by choosing
6-foot, 180-pound defenseman Derek Morris at number 13.  The
Regina defenseman was ranked 85th by the Scouting Bureau.  It
would be interesting to see if the Flames saw something in their
selection that other teams and scouts didn't.  The Flames made
another wild selection in the second round when they took left
winger Travis Brigley of Lethbridge with the 39th pick.  Brigley
was ranked 98th by NHL scouts. 
     For the first time in seven years, the St. Louis Blues made
a first-round selection by taking Boston College Marty Reasoner
with the 14th overall pick.  The crowd approved the selection by
providing the loudest cheers of the day after Reasoner's name was
announced.  The freshman led his team in scoring with 16 goals
and 29 assists in 34 games.  As he walked up to the podium and
put on a Blues sweater, the crowd gave him a warm welcome by
chanting "Mar-ty, Mar-ty". 
     The Pittsburgh Penguins made Craig Hillier the first
goaltender selected in the first round with the 23rd selection.
Hillier impressed the Penguins with his rapid development with
the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League. 
     The Phoenix Coyotes may have gotten the steal of the draft
by taking high-scoring center Daniel Briere with the 24th pick.
The 5-9 Briere, who tries to copy Wayne Gretzky, led the Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League in scoring with 67 goals and 163
points in 67 games. 
     Red Deer defenseman Jesse Wallin expressed a sigh of relief
when his name was called by the Detroit Red Wings as the 26th and
final pick in the first round. The 6-2, 190-pound defenseman was
ranked 12th in the North America Scout rankings. 
     The remaining selections in the next rounds were mostly a
shot in the dark, as most teams seemed to rely heavily on the
Central Scouting Bureau rankings to sort through the modest
talent pool.

1996 round-by-round draft selections
------------------------------------
First Round
1, Ottawa, Chris Phillips, D, Prince Albert, WHL. 2, San Jose, Andrei Zyuzin, D, Salavat Yulaev, MHL. 3, New York Islanders, Jean-Pierre Dumont, RW, Val D'or, QMJHL. 4, Washington, Alexander Volchkove, C, Barrie, OHL. 5, Stars, Richard Jackman, D, Sault St. Marie, OHL. 6, Edmondton, Boyd Devereaux, C, Kitchener, OHL. 7, Sabres, Erik Rasmussen, C, University of Minnesota, WCHA. 8, Boston, Jonathan Aitken, D, Medicine Hat, WHL. 9, Anaheim, Ruslan Salei, D, Las Vegas, IHL. 10, Devils, Lance Ward, D, Red Deer, WHL. 11, Phoenix, Dan Focht, D, Tri-City, WHL. 12, Canucks, Josh Holden, C, Regina, WHL. 13, Calgary, Derek Morris, D, Regina, WHL. 14, St. Louis, Marty Reasoner, C, Boston College, H-East. 15, Philadelphia, Danius Zubrus, LW, Pembroke, CJHL. 16, Tampa Bay, Mario Larocque, D, Hull, QMJHL. 17, Washington, Jaroslav Svejkovsky, RW, Tri-City, WHL. 18, Montreal, Matt Higgins, C, Moosejaw, WHL. 19, Edmonton, Mattheiu Descoteaux, D, Shawinigan, QMJHL. 20, Florida, Marcus Nilson, W, Djurgarden, Sweden. 21, San Jose (from Chicago) Marco Sturm, C, Lansholt, German League. 22, New York Rangers, Jeff Brown, D, Sarnia, OHL. 23, Pittsburgh, Craig Hiller, G, Ottawa, OHL. 24, Phoenix, Daniel Briere, C, QMJHL. 25, Colorado, Peter Ratchuk, D, Shattuck-St. Mary's H.S., Buffalo, N.Y. 26, Detroit, Jesse Wallin, D, Red Deer, WHL.

Second Round
27, Buffalo, Cory Sarich, D, Saskatoon, WHK. 28, Pittsburgh (from New Jersey), Paval, Skrbek, D, Kladno, Czech Republic. 29, New York Islanders, Dan Lacouture, LW, Boston University, Hockey East. 30, Los Angeles, Josh Green, LW, Medicine Hat, WHL. 31, Chicago (from San Jose), Remi Royer, D, St. Hyacinthe, QMJHL. 32, Edmonton, Chris Hajt, D, Guelph Storm, OHL. 33, Buffalo, Darren Van Oene, LW, Brandon, WHL. 34, Hartford (from Boston), Trevor Wasyluk, LW, Medicine Hat, WHL. 35, Anaheim, Matt Cullen, C, St. Cloud State, WCHA. 36, Toronto (from New Jersey), Marek Posmyk, D, Jihlava, Czech League. 37, Los Angeles (from Phoenix), Marian Cisar, W, Bratislava, Jr. League. 38, New Jersey, Wesley Mason, LW, Sarnia, OHL. 39, Calgary, Travis Brigley, LW, Lethbridge, WHL. 40, Calgary (from St. Louis), Steve Begin, C, Val D'Or Foreurs, QMJHL. 41, New Jersey (from Pittsburgh), Joshua Dewolf, D, Twin Cities, USHL. 42, Chicago, Jeff Paul, RW, Niagra, OHL. 43, Washington, Jan Bulis, C, Barri, OHL. 44, Montreal, Mathieu Garon, G, Victorviaville, QMJHL. 45, Boston, Henry Kuster, RW, Medicne Hat, WHL. 46, Chicago (from San Jose), Geoff Peters, C, Niagra Falls, OHL. 47, New Jersey (from Tampa Bay), Pierre Dagenais, LW, Moncton, QMJL. 48, New York Rangers, Daniel Gonjeau, LW, Moncton, QMJL. 49, New Jersey (from Pittsburgh), Colin White, D, Hull, QMJL. 50, Toronto, Francis Larivee, G, Laval, QMJL. 51, Colorado, Yuri Babenko, C, Krlja Sovetov, MHL. 52, Detroit, Aren Miller, G, Spokane, WHL.

Third Round
53, Boston (from Ottawa), Eric Naud, LW, St. Hyacinthe, QMJH. 54, Buffalo (from San Jose), Francois Methot, C, St. Hyacinthe, QMJHL. 55, San Jose, Terry Friesen, G, Swift Current, WHL. 56, New York Islanders (from Los Angeles), Zdeno Chara, D, Sparta, Czech Republic. 57, Los Angeles, Greg Phillips, D, Prince Albert, WHL. 58, Washington (from Dallas), Sergei Zimakov, D, Krylja, MHL. 59, Edmonton, Tom Poti, D, Cushing, NEPS. 60, Florida, Chris Allen, D, Kingston, OHL. 61, Hartford, Andrei Petrunin, W, CSKA, MHL. 62, Phoenix, Per-Anton Lundstrom, D, MoDo, Sweden. 63, New Jersey, Scott Parker, D, Kelowna, WHL. 64, Philadelphia, Chester Gallant, RW, Niagara Falls, OHL. 65, Florida, Oleg Kvasha, W, CSKA, MHL. 66, Toronto (from Calgary), Mike Lankshear, D, Guelph, OHL. 67, St. Louis, Gordie Dwyer, LW, Beauport, QMJL. 68, Toronto, Chad Kalmakoff, C, Melfort, T2. 69, Tampa Bay, Curtis Tipler, RW, Regina, WHL. 70, Washington, Jonathan Sim, C, Sarnia, OHL. 71, Montreal, Arron Asham, C, Reed Deer, WHL. 72, Pittsburgh, Boyd Kane, LW, Regina, WHL. 73, Calgary, Dmitri Subbotin, LW, CSKA, MHL. 74, Washington, Dave Weninger, G, Michigan Tech, WCHA. 75, Vancouver, Zenith Komarniski, D, Tri-City, WHL. 76, New York Rangers, Dmitri Subbotin, LW, CSKA, MHL. 77, Pittsburgh, Boris Protsenko, RW, Calgary. 78, Washington, Shawn McNeil, C, Kamloops, WHL. 79, Colorado, Mark Parrish, LW, St. Cloud State, WCHA. 80, Boston, Jason Doyle, RW, Sault St. Marie, OHL.

Fourth Round
81, Ottawa, Antti-Juss Niemi, C, Helskini, MHA. 82, Florida, Joey Tetarenko, D, Portland, WHL. 83, New York Islanders, Tyrone Garner, G, Oshawa, OHL. 84, Los Angeles, Mikael Simmons, C, Mora, MHA. 85, Washington, Justin Davis, RW, Kingston, OHL. 86, Toronto, Jason Sessa, RW, Lake Superior, CCHA. 87, Buffalo, Kurt Walsh, RW, Owen Sound, OHL. 88, Hartford, Craig MacDonald, C, Harvard, ECAC. 89, Calgary, Toni Lydman, D, Reipas, MHA. 90, Dallas, Mike Hurley, RW, Tri-City, WHL. 91, New Jersey, Josef Boumedienne, D, Huddings, MHA. 92, Montreal, Kim Staal, C, Malmo, MHA. 93, Vancouver, Jonas Soling, W, Huddings, MHA. 94, Calgary, Christian Lefebrve, D, Granby, QMJL. 95, St. Louis, Jonathan Zukiewski, C, Red Deer, WHL. 96, Los Angeles, Eric Belanger, C, Beauport, QMJL. 97, St. Louis, Andrei Petrakov, LW, Yekateringburg, MHA. 98, Colorado, Ben Storey, D, Harvard, ECAC. 99, Montreal, Etienne Drapeau, C, Beauport, QMJL. 100, Boston, Trent Whitfield, C, Spokane, WHL. 101, New Jersey, Josh MacNevin, D, Vernon, T2. 102, San Jose, Matt Bradley, RW, Kingston, OHL. 103, Toronto, Vladimir Antipov, W, Yaroslavl, MHA. 104, Hartford, Steve Wayslko, C, Detroit, OHL. 105, Pittsburgh, Michal Rozsival, D, Dukla Jihlava, MHA. 106, Buffalo, Mike Martone, D, Peterborough, OHL. 107, Colorado, Petruk, Randy, G, Kamloops, WHL. 108, Detroit, Johan Forsander, W, Hv 71, MHA.

Fifth Round
109, New York Islanders, Andy Berenzweig, D, Michigan U. CCHA. 110, Toronto, Peter Cava, C, Sault St. Marie, OHL. 111, Toronto, Brandon Sugden, C, London, OHL. 112, Dallas, Ryan Christie, D, Yaroslavl, MHA. 113, Dallas, Evgeny Tysbuk, D, Yaroslavl, MHA. 114, Edmonton, Brian Urick, RW, Notre Dame, CCHA, 115, Buffalo, Alexei Tezikov, D, Lada, MHA. 116, Hartford, Mark McMahon, D, Kitchener, OHL. 117, Anaheim, Brendan Buckley, D, ECAC. 118, New Jersey, Glenn Crawford, C, Windsor, OHL. 119, Phoenix, Richard Lintner, D, Trencin, MHA. 120, x-Los Angeles, Jesse Black, Niagra Falls, OHL. 121, Vancouver, Tyler Prosofsky, C, Kelowna, WHL. 122, Calgary, Josef Straka, C, Chemopetrol, MHA. 123, Los Angeles, Peter Hogan, D, Oshawa, OHL. 124, Philadelphia, Per-Ragna Bergovist, G, Leksand, MHA. 125, Tampa Bay, Jason Robinson, D, Niagra Falls, OHA. 126, Matthew Lahey, LW, Peterborough, D, OHL. 127, Montreal, Daniel Archambault, D, Val D'or, QMJL. 128, New York Islanders, Petr Sachl, C, Budejovice, MHA. 129, Florida, Andrew Long, RW, Guelph, OHL. 130, Chicago, Andy Johnson, D, Peterborough, OHL. 131, New York Rangers, Colin Pepperall, LW, Niagra Falls, OHL. 132, Boston, Elias Abrahamsson, D, Halifax, QMJL. 133, Philadelphia, Jesse Boulerice, D, Detroit, OHL. 134, Colorado, Luke Curtin, LW, Kelowna, WHL. 135, Detroit, Michael Podolka, G, Sault St. Marie, OHL.

Sixth Round
136, Ottawa, Andreas Dackell, W, Brynas, MHA. 137, San Jose, Michel Larocque, G, Boston U., Hockey East. 138, NY Islanders, Todd Miller, C, Sarnia, OHL. 139, Phoenix, Robert Esche, G, Detroit, OHL. 140, Toronto, Dmitri Yakushin, D, Pembroke, T2. 141, Edmonton, Bryan Randall, C, Medicine Hat, WHL. 142, Buffalo, Ryan Davis, RW, Owen Sound, OHL. 143, Hartford, Aaron Baker, G, Tri-City, WHL. 144, Detroit, Magnus Nilsson, W, Vita Hasten, MHA. 145, New Jersey, Sean Ritchlin, RW, Michigan, CCHA. 146, Colorado, Brian Willsie, RW, Guelph, OHL. 147, Vancouver, Nolan McDonald, G, Vermont, ECAC. 148, Toronto, Chris Bogas, D, Michigan State, CCHA. 149, Anaheim, Blaine Russell, G, Prince Albert, WHL. 150, x-Pittsburgh, Peter Bergman, C, Kalmops, WHL. 151, Toronto, Lucio DeMartinis, LW, Shawingan, QMJHL. 152, Tampa Bay, Nikolai Ignatov, D, CSKA, MHA. 153, Washington, Andrew VanBruggen, RW, Northern Michigan, CCHA. 154, Montreal, Brett Clark, D, Maine, ECAC, 155, Boston, Chris Lane, D, Spokane, WHL. 156, Florida, Gaetan Poirer, LW, Merrimack, ECAC. 157, Tampa Bay, Xavier Delisle, C, Granby, QMJHL. 158, New York Rangers, Ola Sandberg, C, Djurgarden, MHA. 159, St. Louis, Stephen Wagner, G, Olds, T2. 160, Colorado, Kai Fischer, G, Dusseldorf, MHA. 161, Buffalo, Darren Mortier C, Sarnia, OHL. 162, Detroit, Alexandre Jacques, C, Shawinigan, QMJHL.

Seventh Round
163, Ottawa, Francois Hardy, D, Val d'Or, QMJHL. 164, San Jose, Jake Deadmarsh, D, Kamloops, WHL. 165, NY Islanders, Joe Prestifilippo, G, Hotchkiss, USHS. 166, Dallas, Eoin McInerney, G, London, OHL. 167, Colorado, Dan Hinote, RW, London, OHL. 168, Edmonton, David Bernier, C, St.Hyacinthe, QMJHL. 169, St. Louis, Daniel Corso, C, Victoriaville, QMJHL. 170, x-Edmonton, Brandon LaFrance, RW, Ohio State, CCHA. 171, Hartford, Greg Kuznik, D, Seattle, WHL. 172, Anaheim, Timo Ahmoja, D, Jyvaskyla, MHA. 173, New Jersey, Daryl Andrews, D, Melfort, T2. 174, Phoenix, Trevor Letowski, D, Sarnia, OHL. 175, Vancouver, Clint Cabana, D, Medicine Hat, WHL. 176, Colorado, Samuel Pahlsson, C, Ornskoldsvik, MHA. 177, St. Louis, Reed Low, RW, Moose Jaw, WHL. 178, Toronto, Reggie Berg, C, Minnesota, WCHA. 179, Tampa Bay, Pavel Kubina, D, Vitkovice, MHA. 180, Washington, Michael Anderson, RW. Minnesota, WCHA. 181, Montreal, Timo Vertala, W, Jyvaskyla, MHA. 182, Boston, Thomas Brown, D, Sarnia, OHL. 183, Florida, Alexander Couture, D, Victoriaville, QMJHL. 184, Chicago, Mike Vellinga, D, Guelph, OHL. 185, New York Rangers, Jeff Dressner, D, Taft, USHS. 186, Pittsburgh, Eric Meloche, RW, Cornwall, T2. 187, Philadelphia, Roman Malov, LW, Omsk, MHA. 188, Colorado, Roman Pyler, C, Litvinov, MHA. 189, Detroit, Colin Beardsmore, C, North Bay, OHL.

Eighth Round
190, Los Angeles, Stephen Valiquette, G, Sudbury, OHL. 191, San Jose, Cory Cyrenne, C, Brandon, WHL. 192, NY Islanders, Evgeny Korolev, D, Peterborough, OHL. 193, Los Angeles, Kai Nurminen, W, HV 71, MHA. 194, Dallas, Joel Kwiatkowski, D, Prince George, WHL. 195, Edmonton, Fernando Pisani, C, St. Albert, T2. 196, St. Louis, Andrei Podkonicky, C, Zvolen, MHA. 197, Hartford, Kevin Marsh, LW, Calgary, WHL. 198, Anaheim, Kevin Kellett, D, Prince Albert, WHL. 199, New Jersey, Willie Mitchell, D, Melfort, T2. 200, Phoenix, Nicholas Lent, RW, Omaha, JRA, 201, Vancouver, Jeff Scissors, F, Vernon, T2. 202, Calgary, Ryan Wade, RW, Kelowna, WHL. 203, St. Louis, Anthony Hutchins, C, Lawrence Academy, USHS. 204, Toronto, Tomas Kaberle, D, Kladno, MHA. 205, New Jersey, Jason Bertsch, RW, Spokane, WHL. 206, Washington, Oleg Orekhovsky, no team, MHA. 207, Montreal, Mattia Baldi, F, Ambri, MHA. 208, Boston, Bob Prier, RW, St. Lawrence. ECAC. 209, Florida, Denis Khloptonov, G, (Russia). 210, Chicago, Chris Twerdun, D, Moose Jaw, WHL. 211, NY Rangers, Ryan McKie, London, OHL. 212, Ottawa (from Pittsburgh) Erich Goldman, D, Mannheim, (Germany). 213, Philadelphia, Jeff Milleker, C, Moose Jaw, WHL. 214, Colorado, Matthew Scorsune, D, Hotchkiss, USHS. 215, Detroit, Craig Stahl, RW, Tri-City, WHL.

Ninth Round
216, Ottawa, Ivan Ciernik, RW, HC Nitra MHA. 217, San Jose, David Thibeault, LW, Drummondville, QMJHL. 218, NY Islanders, Mike Muzechka, D, Calgary, WHL. 219, Los Angeles, Sebastien Simard, LW, Drummondville, QMJHL. 220, Dallas, Nick Bootland, LW, Guelph, OHL. 221, Edmonton, John Hultberg, G, Kingston, OHL. 222, Buffalo, Scott Buhler, G, Medicine Hat. 223, Hartford, Craig Adams, RW, Harvard, ECAC. 224, Anaheim, Tobias Johansson, W, Malmo Jr., Sweden. 225, New Jersey, Pasi Petrilainen, D, Tappara Tampere, MHA. 226, Phoenix, Marc-Etienne Hubert, C, Laval, QMJHL. 227, Vancouver, Lubomir Vaic, C, HC Kosice (Slovakia). 228, Calgary, Ronald Petrovicky, RW, Prince George, WHL. 229, St. Louis, Konstantine Shafranov, LW, Fort Wayne, IHL. 230, Toronto, Jared Hope, no team. 231, Tampa Bay (from Hartford), Askhat Rakhmatullin, LW, no team. 232, Washington, Chad Cavanagh, LW, London, OHL. 233, Montreal, Michel Tremblay, LW, Shawinigan, QMJHL. 234, Boston, Anders Soderberg, W, Modo Ornskoldsvik (Sweden). 235, Florida, Russell Smith, D, Hull, QMJHL. 236, Chicago, Alexei Kozyrev, D, Cherepovets (Russia). 237. NY Rangers, Ronnie Sundin, D, Vastra F. Goteberg (Sweden). 238, Pittsburgh, Timo Seikkula, C, Junkkarit (Finland). 239, Philadelphia (from Ottawa), Sami Salo, D, TPS Turko (Finland). 240, Colorado, Justin Clark, RW, Michigan. 241, Detroit, Evgeniy Afanasiev, Detroit L.C. Midgets.

---------------------------------------------------
NHL Free Agents on the Loose
---------------------------------------------------
by Zippy, Wonder Chimp

John Cullen and Wayne Gretzky lead this year's offering of NHL free agents. 
The summer months are sure to be packed with fun and excitement as the 
NHL's free agents negotiate for multi-million contracts while you work for 
minimum wage at a large corporate electronics manufacturing plant assembling 
61 inch televisions that you'll never afford unless you sell your kidneys 
and liver to the blackmarket in India...but I digress.  
<P>  
Free agent season will surely provide some excitement this summer as teams 
attempt to bolster their teams for next season.  In order to help you keep 
on top of the mayhem, keep the LCS Free Agent List on hand.  Throughout 
the summer, we will update the list.


Free Agency Types

Type II:   Restricted; becomes unrestricted if no 
           qualifying offer made. 
Type III:  Age 32 or older by June 30.
Type IV:   Defected free agent (never signed NHL contract).
Type V:    10 years of experience, earning less than league average.
Type VI:   25 or older, less than 80 games played (28 GP for goalies).

-------------------------------------------------
Type II Compensation

SALARY:                       COMPENSATION:
Under $400,000                None
$401,000-$550,000             3rd Round Choice
$551,000-$650,000             2nd Round Choice
$651,000-$800,000             1st Round Choice
$801,000-$1,000,000           1st and 3rd Round Choices
$1,000,000-$1,200,000         1st and 2nd Round Choices
$1,200,000-$1,400,000         2 1st Round Choices
$1,400,000-$1,700,000         2 1st and 1 2nd Round Choices
$1,700,000-$2,700,000         3 1st Round Choices
$2,700,000-$3,700,000         4 1st Round Choices
$3,700,000+                   5 1st Round Choices

Group II

TEAM P NO. PLAYER              GP   G   A PTS  +/- PIM      1995-96 SALARY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANA  D 17  DAVE KARPA          72   3  16  19  -3  270      $  215,000*
ANA  L 12 *DAVID SACCO         23   4  10  14   1   18         300,000
ANA  R 46 *JEAN-FRANCOIS JOMPHE31   2  12  14   7   39         160,000 
ANA  R 36  TODD EWEN           53   4   3   7  -5  285         478,000
ANA  C 21 *JIM CAMPBELL        ********** signed by St. Louis *********
ANA  D 23 *JASON MARSHALL      24   0   1   1   3   42         250,000
BOS  C 21  TED DONATO          82  23  26  49   6   46         525,000
BOS  R 45  SANDY MOGER         80  15  14  29  -9   65         250,000
BOS  R 23  STEVE HEINZE        76  16  12  28  -3   43         325,000
BOS  G 30  BILL RANFORD        77   0   3   3   0    2       2,915,000*
BOS  R 29  MARC POTVIN         27   0   0   0  -2   12         225,000
BOS  R 20 *TRENT MCCLEARY      75   4  10  14 -15   68         155,000*
BOS  L 36  JEFF ODGERS         78  12   4  16  -4  192         475,000
BUF  C 26  DEREK PLANTE        76  23  33  56  -4   28         360,000
BUF  L 43  JASON DAWE          67  25  25  50  -8   33         200,000
BUF  L 36  MATTHEW BARNABY     73  15  16  31  -2  335         275,000
BUF  D 21  MARK ASTLEY         60   2  18  20 -12   80         285,000
BUF  L 17  BRENT HUGHES        76   5  10  15  -9  148         405,000
BUF  L 33  SCOTT PEARSON       27   4   0   4  -4   67         375,000
CGY  C 92  MICHAEL NYLANDER    73  17  38  55   0   20         260,000*
CGY  R 45  JOCELYN LEMIEUX     67   5   7  12 -19   45         500,000*
CGY  R 23  SHELDON KENNEDY     41   3   7  10   3   36         560,000
CGY  C 47  CLAUDE LAPOINTE     35   4   5   9   1   20         515,000
CGY  L 36 *YVES SARAULT        25   2   1   3  -9    8  
CGY  D  8  TRENT YAWNEY        69   0   3   3  -1   88         705,900
CGY  D  4  KEVIN DAHL          32   1   1   2  -2   26  
CGY  G 31  RICK TABARACCI      43   0   2   2   0    8         550,000 
CHI  C 27  JEREMY ROENICK      66  32  35  67   9  109       1,400,000
CHI  C 11  JEFF SHANTZ         78   6  14  20  12   24         245,000
CHI  D  4  KEITH CARNEY        82   5  14  19  31   94         300,000
CHI  R 25  SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV  46   6  10  16  10   32         275,000
CHI  C 22  STEVE DUBINSKY      43   2   3   5   3   14         175,000
CHI  R 19  DANTON COLE         12   1   0   1   0    0         350,000 
CHI  G 29  JIM WAITE            1   0   0   0   0    0  
COL  L 13  VALERI KAMENSKY     81  38  47  85  14   85         730,000
COL  R 48  SCOTT YOUNG         81  21  39  60   2   50         750,000
COL  L 12  CHRIS SIMON         64  16  18  34  10  250         500,000
COL  C 26 *STEPHANE YELLE      71  13  14  27  15   30         146,000
COL  D  5  ALEXEI GUSAROV      65   5  15  20  29   56         625,000
COL  L 16  WARREN RYCHEL       52   6   2   8   6  147         750,000
DAL  C  9  MIKE MODANO         78  36  45  81 -12   63       2,921,900
DAL  L 39  MIKE KENNEDY        61   9  17  26  -7   48         265,000
DAL  C 22  ROBERT PETROVICKY    5   1   1   2   1    0  
DAL  G 34  DARCY WAKALUK       ********** signed by Phoenix ***********
DET  C 23  GREG JOHNSON        60  18  22  40   6   30         300,000
DET  D 27  MARC BERGEVIN       70   1   9  10   7   33         625,000
EDM  C 39  DOUG WEIGHT         82  25  79 104 -19   95         800,000
EDM  L  8  ZDENO CIGER         78  31  39  70 -15   41         550,000*
EDM  L  8  JASON ARNOTT        64  28  31  59  -6   87         600,000
EDM  L 32 *MIROSLAV SATAN      62  18  17  35   0   22         446,000
EDM  D  2  BORIS MIRONOV       78   8  24  32 -23  101         425,500
EDM  L 37  DEAN MCAMMOND       53  15  15  30   6   23         180,000
EDM  D 28  JIRI SLEGR          57   4  13  17  -1   74         562,000
EDM  L 15 *DAVID ROBERTS       34   3  10  13  -7   18         310,000
EDM  D  5 *BRETT HAUER         29   4   2   6 -11   30         356,728*
EDM  D 25 *GREG DE VRIES       13   1   1   2  -2   12  
EDM  G  1 *JOAQUIN GAGE        16   0   0   0   0    4         230,000
FLA  R 26  RAY SHEPPARD        70  37  23  60 -19   16       1,550.000
FLA  D  6  JASON WOOLLEY       52   6  28  34  -9   32         275,000
FLA  G 30  MARK FITZPATRICK    34   0   0   0   0   12         525,000
HFD  L  8  GEOFF SANDERSON     81  34  31  65   0   40         812,000
HFD  R 16  NELSON EMERSON      81  29  29  58  -7   78         918,000
HFD  C 22  MARK JANSSENS       81   2   7   9 -13  155         462,277
HFD  L 14  KEVIN SMYTH         21   2   1   3  -5    8         165,000
LAK  C 44  YANIC PERREAULT     78  25  24  49 -11   16         300,000
LAK  L 21  TONY GRANATO        49  17  18  35  -5   46       1,425,000
LAK  D 26  PHILIPPE BOUCHER    53   7  16  23 -26   31         412,500
LAK  D 27  JOHN SLANEY         38   6  14  20   7   14         325,000
LAK  D  2  DOUG ZMOLEK         58   2   5   7  -5   87         310,000
LAK  D  6 *SEAN O'DONNELL      71   2   5   7   3  127         250,000
LAK  C 24  NATHAN LAFAYETTE    17   2   4   6  -4    8         250,000
LAK  D  3  DENIS TSYGUROV      18   1   5   6   0   22         400,000
LAK  L 40 *BARRY POTOMSKI      33   3   2   5  -7  104  
LAK  D 11  MATTIAS NORSTROM    36   2   2   4  -3   40         200,000
LAK  C 20 *STEVE LAROUCHE       8   1   2   3   0    4         
LAK  G 31 *BYRON DAFOE         47   0   0   0   0    6         350,000
MTL  L 26  MARTIN RUCINSKY     78  29  46  75  18   68         500,000
MTL  R 18 *VALERI BURE         77  22  20  42  10   28         350,000*
MTL  D 43  PATRICE BRISEBOIS   69   9  27  36  10   65         550,000*
MTL  L 49  BRIAN SAVAGE        75  25   8  33  -8   28         250,000
MTL  R 30  TURNER STEVENSON    80   9  16  25  -2  167         325,000*
MTL  D 24  LYLE ODELEIN        79   3  14  17   8  230         850,000
MTL  D 34  PETER POPOVIC       76   2  12  14  21   69         375,000
MTL  D 52 *CRAIG RIVET         19   1   4   5   4   54         
MTL  L 35  DONALD BRASHEAR     67   0   4   4 -10  223         235,000*
NYI  R 16  ZIGMUND PALFFY      81  43  44  87 -17   56         275,000
NYI  C 39  TRAVIS GREEN        69  24  45  69 -21   42         400,000
NYI  L 27  DEREK KING          61  12  20  32 -10   23         825,000
NYI  D  7  SCOTT LACHANCE      55   3  10  13 -19   54         650,000
NYI  D  6  CHRIS LUONGO        74   3   7  10 -23   55         250,000
NYI  R 21 *DAN PLANTE          73   5   3   8 -22   50         250,000
NYI  L 34 *ANDREY VASILYEV     10   2   5   7   4    2         272,500
NYI  D  2  BOB BEERS           13   0   5   5  -2   10         400,000
NYI  C 36  MICAH AIVAZOFF      12   0   1   1  -6    6         325,000
NYI  G 29  JAMIE MCLENNAN      ********** signed by St. Louis *********
NYR  D 25  A. KARPOVTSEV       40   2  16  18  12   26         300,000
NYR  L 18  BILL BERG           41   3   2   5  -6   41         360,000*
OTT  C 14  SHAWN MCEACHERN     82  24  29  53  -5   34         687,000
OTW  D  4  SEAN HILL           80   7  14  21 -26   94         450,000
OTW  C 13  TED DRURY           42   9   7  16 -19   54         275,000
OTW  R 22 *ANTTI TORMANEN      50   7   8  15 -15   28         300,000*
OTW  C 10  ROB GAUDREAU        52   8   5  13 -19   15         225,000
OTW  C 12  DAVID ARCHIBALD     44   6   4  10 -14   18         400,000*
OTW  D  2  LANCE PITLICK       28   1   6   7  -8   20         250,000
OTW  L 36  TROY MALLETTE       64   2   3   5  -7  171         362,000*
OTW  D 21  DENNIS VIAL         64   1   4   5 -13  276         275,000*
OTW  R 26  SCOTT LEVINS        27   0   2   2  -3   80         300,000*
OTW  G  1  DAMIAN RHODES       47   0   2   2   0    4         575,000*
OTW  G 35 *MIKE BALES          20   0   0   0   0    2         200,000*
PHI  D 23  PETR SVOBODA        73   1  28  29  28  105         925,000
PHI  R 20  TRENT KLATT         71   7  12  19   2   44         437,000
PHI  D  2  KERRY HUFFMAN       47   5  12  17 -18   69         425,000
PHI  L  8  SHAWN ANTOSKI       64   1   3   4  -4  204         260,000
PHI  L 26  PHILIP CROWE        16   1   1   2   0   28         200,000
PHI  D 40 *ARIS BRIMANIS       17   0   2   2  -1   12         175,000
PHX  C 29  CRAIG JANNEY        ********** signed by Phoenix ***********
PHX  C 10  ALEXEI ZHAMNOV      58  22  37  59  -4   65       1,250,000
PHX  R 23  IGOR KOROLEV        73  22  29  51   1   42         400,000
PHX  C 32  MIKE EASTWOOD       80  14  14  28 -14   20         325,000*
PHX  R 21  DENIS CHASSE        60   3   0   3 -14  125         250,000
PHX  C 39  IAIN FRASER         12   1   1   2   1    4  
PHX  G 37  DOMINIC ROUSSEL     ********** signed by Phoenix ***********
PHX  R 30  ED RONAN            17   0   0   0  -3   16         285,000*
PIT  C 93  PETR NEDVED         80  45  54  99  37   68       1,400,000
PIT  C 20  BRYAN SMOLINSKI     81  24  40  64   6   69         200,000
PIT  R  8  KEVIN MILLER        81  28  25  53  -4   45         750,000
PIT  D  6  NEIL WILKINSON      62   3  14  17  12  120         577.500
PIT  D  2  CHRIS TAMER         70   4  10  14  20  153         220,000
PIT  D 24 *IAN MORAN           51   1   1   2  -1   47         220,000
PIT  R 11 *ALEK STOJANOV       68   1   1   2 -13  130         225,000*
PIT  C 12 *TYLER WRIGHT        23   1   0   1  -7   33         180,000*
SJS  R 43 *JAN CALOUN          11   8   3  11   4    0         250,000
SJS  D  4  JAY MORE            74   2   7   9 -32  147         500,000
SJS  D 41  TOM PEDERSON        60   1   4   5  -9   40         500,000
SJS  G 32  ARTURS IRBE         22   0   0   0   0    4         955,000
STL  R 27  STEPHEN LEACH       73  11  17  28  -7  108         700,000
STL  L 32  STEPHANE MATTEAU    ********** signed by St. Louis *********
STL  C 15  MIKE HUDSON         ********** signed by St. Louis *********
STL  R 12  ROB PEARSON         ********** signed by St. Louis *********
TBL  R 29  ALEXANDER SELIVANOV 79  31  21  52   3   93         286,700
TBL  C 12  JOHN CULLEN         76  16  34  50   1   65         350,000
TBL  L 34  MIKAEL ANDERSSON    64   8  11  19   0    2         395,000
TBL  D  6  ADRIEN PLAVSIC       7   1   2   3   5    6  
TOR  D 72  MATHIEU SCHNEIDER   78  13  41  54 -20  103       1,400,000
TOR  D 26  DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH  69   1  10  11 -14   54         700,000
TOR  L 32  NICK KYPREOS        61   4   5   9   1  107         577,500
TOR  C 18  PETER WHITE         27   5   3   8 -14    0         300,000*
TOR  C 25  PAUL DIPIETRO       20   4   4   8  -3    4  
TOR  G 29  FELIX POTVIN        69   0   0   0   0    4       1,400,000*
VAN  C  7  CLIFF RONNING       ********** signed by Phoenix ***********
VAN  R  9  RUSS COURTNALL      81  26  39  65  25   40       1,485,000
VAN  R 22  MARKUS NASLUND      76  22  33  55  20   42         600,000
VAN  C 14  JESSE BELANGER      72  20  21  41  -5   14         550,000
VAN  R 26  MIKE SILLINGER      74  14  24  38 -18   38         400,000
VAN  C 42  JOSEF BERANEK       61   6  14  20 -11   60         756,000*
VAN  D 24 *SCOTT WALKER        63   4   8  12  -7  137         185,000*
VAN  R 28  JOEY KOCUR          45   1   3   4  -7   68         300,000
VAN  D 34  JASSEN CULLIMORE    27   1   1   2   4   21         225,000
WSH  R  9  KEITH JONES         68  18  23  41   8  103         500,000
WSH  R 34 *MARTIN GENDRON      20   2   1   3  -5    8         250,000
WSH  C 23  KEVIN KAMINSKI      54   1   2   3  -1  164         275,000
WSH  D 28  ERIC CHARRON        18   0   1   1  -3   22         225,000
WSH  G 37  OLAF KOLZIG         ********** signed by Washington ********


Group III 


TEAM P NO. PLAYER              GP   G   A PTS +/-  PIM      1995-96 SALARY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANA  C 93  ANATOLI SEMENOV     56   4  22  26  -1   24      $   460,000
ANA  R 16  PETER DOURIS        31   8   7  15  -3    9          326,000
ANA  D 29  RANDY LADOUCEUR     63   1   3   4   5   47          600,000
BOS  L 17  DAVE REID           ********** signed by Dallas *************
BOS  R 11  JOE MULLEN          37   8   7  15  -2    0          500,000
BOS  C 10  RON SUTTER          18   5   7  12  10   24          250,000
BOS  D  6  ALEXEI KASATONOV    19   1   0   1   1   12          650,000
BUF  R 25  ROB CONN            28   2   5   7  -9   18          250,000
CGY  C 34  COREY MILLEN        44   7  14  21   8   18          618.966
CGY  C 17  BOB SWEENEY         72   7   7  14 -20   65          520,000*
CGY  R 42  ED WARD             41   3   5   8  -2   44          275,000*
CHI  C 92  BERNIE NICHOLLS     59  19  41  60  11   60        1,200,000
CHI  R 17  JOE MURPHY          ********** signed by St. Louis **********
CHI  C 18  DENIS SAVARD        69  13  35  48  20  102          700,000
CHI  C 12  BRENT SUTTER        80  13  27  40  14   56          775,000
CHI  C 38  JAMES BLACK         13   3   3   6   1   16  
CHI  L 19  BRENT GRIEVE        28   2   4   6   5   28          325,000
DAL  L 44  RANDY WOOD          76   8  13  21 -15   62          700,000
DAL  D 18  MIKE LALOR          63   1   2   3 -10   31          575,000
DAL  G 35  ANDY MOOG           41   0   0   0   0   28          963,259
DET  D  2  VIACHESLAV FETISOV  69   7  35  42  37   96          750,000
EDM  D 34  DONALD DUFRESNE     45   1   6   7  -4   20          300,000
HFD  R 11  KEVIN DINEEN        46   2   9  11  -1  117          688,404
LAK  C 15  RANDY GILHEN        22   2   3   5   1   12          275,000*
LAK  C 12  KEVIN TODD          74  16  27  43   6   38          450,000
LAK  C 14  GARY SHUCHUK        33   4  10  14   3   12          375,000
LAK  G 32  KELLY HRUDEY        36   0   0   0   0    4        1,690,600
NJD  D  6  PHIL HOUSLEY        81  17  51  68  -6   30        2,200,000  
NYI  L 25  PAT CONACHER        55   6   3   9 -13   18          450,000
NYR  R 16  PAT VERBEEK         ********** signed by Dallas *************
NYR  L 17  JARI KURRI          71  18  27  45 -16   39        2,000,000  
NYR  D 23  JEFF BEUKEBOOM      ********** signed by NY Rangers *********
NYR  D  4  KEVIN LOWE          53   1   5   6  20   76        1,100,000
OTW  L 29  PHIL BOURQUE        13   1   1   2  -3   14          475,000
PHX  D 28  CRAIG MUNI          72   1   7   8  -6  106          712,500
PIT  C 26  DAVE MCLLWAIN       19   2   5   7  -5    6          328,000
SJS  C 18  CHRIS TANCILL       45   7  16  23 -12   20          250,000
SJS  D  2  JIM KYTE            57   1   7   8 -12  146          250,000 
STL  C 99  WAYNE GRETZKY       80  23  79 102 -13   34        6,545,363
STL  C 25  PETER ZEZEL         ********** signed by St. Louis **********
STL  R 36  GLENN ANDERSON      32   6   8  14 -11   33          400,000
STL  C 23  CRAIG MACTAVISH     68   5   9  14  -9   70          750,000
STL  D 22  CHARLIE HUDDY       64   5   5  10 -12   65          400,000
TBL  D 95  MICHEL PETIT        54   4   8  12 -11  135          550,000
VAN  R 25  JIM SANDLAK         33   4   2   6  -3    6          125,000*
VAN  R 19  TIM HUNTER          60   2   0   2  -8  122          400,000



---------------------------------------------------------------
ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 35-39-8; 78 points. 
Finished: 4th in Pacific, 18th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 234 (20th)
Goals Allowed: 247 (10th)
Power Play: 14.1% (25th)
Penalty Killing: 80.9% (17th)

SEASON RECAP by Michael Dell

     While witnessing the Florida Panthers become a force in the
Eastern Conference, the Mighty Ducks felt pressured to try and
keep up with their expansion brethren.  Anaheim made an all-out
bid to make the playoffs this season, falling just short in the
final days off the regular season when the Winnipeg Jets edged
the Ducks for the final spot in the West.  The two clubs had
identical point totals but Winnipeg had one more win than
Anaheim, giving them the tie-breaker. 
     Despite the eventual disappointment of missing the playoffs,
the season was still an extremely successful one for the Ducks. 
The team set new franchise records for wins (35) and points (78)
in a season.  The one event that made this campaign special for
Anaheim fans, however, was the mid-season acquisition of Teemu
Selanne.  
     The Ducks sent youngsters Oleg Tverdovsky and Chad Kilger to
Winnipeg in exchange for the Finnish Flash.  Immediately upon his
arrival at the Pond, Selanne teamed up with Paul Kariya to give
the Ducks a 1-2 scoring punch that few teams could match. 
Playing on the same line, Selanne and Kariya tortured teams with
their explosive speed and smooth stickwork.  The duo combined on
a number of memorable plays and finally made opposing teams worry
about Anaheim's ability to put goals on the board.  
     Kariya had just an unbelievable sophomore season.  In his
first full 82-game schedule in the league, the diminutive 21-
year-old left winger proved he could handle the grind of the NHL
by playing in every game and recording what could be the first of
many 50-goal, 100-point seasons.  Kariya also showed a flair for
the dramatic, scoring two goals in the final game of the season
to hit the 50-goal mark.  He led the Ducks in goals (50), power-
play goals (20), short-handed goals (3), game-winning goals (9),
and tied Selanne for the team lead in points (108).  Kariya's
tremendous season was acknowledged at the post-season awards
ceremony, where he walked away with the Lady Byng Trophy and a
First Team All-Star selection. 
     Selanne didn't win the awards that his younger partner in
crime did, but his season was still remarkable.  Eclipsing the
100-point mark for the second time in his career, Selanne tied
Kariya for the team lead and the seventh spot in the league
scoring race with 108 points.  He also led the team with 69
assists, which was tied for the ninth-best total in the league. 
Selanne's skill and sportsmanship were recognized by the league,
as he joined Kariya as a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.  
     Unfortunately for the Ducks, Kariya and Selanne had to come
off the ice eventually.  When they weren't out there the offense
all but dried up.  Roman Oksiuta (23-28-51) finished third on the
team in scoring, a whopping 57 points behind the two superstars. 
Steve Rucchin (19-25-44), who even missed 18 games due to injury, 
was the only other forward to finish with more than 30 points for
the season.  That's just sad.  Shaun Van Allen (8-17-25) might
have been able to carry more of the load if not for injuries that
kept him out of 33 games.  Joe Sacco (13-14-27), Garry Valk (12-
12-24), and Alex Hicks (10-11-21) were the only other forwards
who registered at least 20 points. 
     Bobby Dollas was the club's top defenseman, finishing fifth
in team scoring with eight goals and 30 points while leading all
blueliners with a +9.  Fredrick Olausson (2-22-24) made a big
impact after coming over in a trade from Edmonton.  A veteran
pointman, Olausson did his best to help out the horrendous Ducks
power play.  He had his efforts rewarded with a new contract at
the end of the season. 
     Speaking of the power play, Anaheim's anemic special teams
are what kept them out of the postseason.  The penalty killing
finished seventeenth in the league this season, but that was
still a decided improvement over its last place finish of a year
ago.  Meanwhile, the power play checked in at twenty-fifth in the
league, converting at a laughable 14.1%.  Only Ottawa performed
worse with the man-advantage.  The 14.1%, while still terrible,
was an increase of 2.7% from the 1994-95 season, so at least
there was some change for the better.  Having Selanne and
Olausson on board for an entire season should help next year, but
this is still a major area of concern for Anaheim. 
     Goaltending, unlike the power play, was one of Anaheim's
strengths.  Despite receiving little recognition, Guy Hebert
turned in another solid season.  The 29-year-old netminder
appeared in 59 games, posting a record of 28-23-5 with a 2.83
goals-against and four shutouts.  Hebert's excellent .914 save
percentage was fourth-best in the league. 

TEAM MVP:  In only his second season, Paul Kariya became a
legitimate superstar.  While he was expected to eventually reach
such lofty heights, doing so at such a young stage of his career
is truly amazing.  How important was he?  Kariya scored 30% of
the Ducks' power-play goals and 21.3% of their total goals. 
Those numbers are staggering for such a young player.

SURPRISES:  The Ducks experimented with a number of young
forwards in the lineup this season, but the biggest surprise was
probably Jean-Francois Jomphe.  The 23-year-old winger collected
two goals and 14 points in 31 games with Anaheim, while also
finishing at a +7.  However, it was his style of play, and not
his numbers, that gained the most attention.  Jomphe was called
up during the second half of the season and sparked the team with
his determined, feisty play.  His hard work quickly made him a
favorite of the fans and Coach Ron Wilson.  He should fit in
nicely on a checking line with the Ducks next season.  Plus is
name is really cool... Jean-Francois Jomphe... sounds like a new
candy from the makers of Stuart's Chocolate Riesens or whatever
the hell that stuff is called... you know the commercial with
that little punk kid wearing those wacky German pants... he walks
into the store and says, "A (whatever) Chocolate Riesen,
please..." to some old lady... except his mouth and the words
never seem to match up quite right... it's like the kid wandered
in off the set of a Godzilla movie or something... anyway, the
point is Jomphe is pretty cool.
         
DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Missing the playoffs on a tie-breaker
was kind off disappointing.  Other than that, there really wasn't
a whole lot to be upset about.  The Ducks are still at the stage
where anything they do is considered good.  That grace period is
running out, however, so they should enjoy it while they can. 

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Ducks desperately need to add
more scoring up front.  Rumor has it that they will be very
active in the free-agent market this summer.  They definitely
have the cash.  Them Disney-types are loaded.  The only person
with more money than the Ducks is Oprah.  Yep, that's how the
money-earning chain of command breaks down.  Oprah is on top,
followed closely by the Ducks.  LCS is sort of at the bottom.  I
think we're right below my neighbor's lemonade stand and just
above dirt.  That's right, we make more money than dirt... but
not much.  After all, dirt probably has more ambition.

Anyway, the Ducks are going to be looking to spend some of that
loot.  Now that Gretzky has turned his back on St. Louis, there
have been rumors of him signing with Anaheim.  The fact that he
would be playing for the Kings' closest and most-hated rival
makes this idea doubtful, but Gretzky is just silly anymore so
you never know.  Other names being mentioned as possible
candidates to join the Ducks' flock are Jeremy Roenick, Bernie
Nicholls, and Brendan Shanahan.  Phil Housley is also out there,
he could definitely help the power play.

Now, as an added bonus for all you crazy Anaheim fans out there,
here is some more info about the Ducks from our Anaheim
Correspondent, Sandi Trudo.

Mighty Ducks Choose Defenseman Salei as #1 Pick
by Sandi Trudo

     In the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, the Mighty Ducks made a
scramble for better talent on the backline, which they needed.
Anaheim's first-round selection (number nine overall) was Ruslan
Salei, a defenseman from the Las Vegas Thunder of the
International Hockey League (IHL). Salei, who is 21, collected
seven goals and added 23 assists for 30 points in 76 games during
the 1994-95 season. Salei also earned 123 penalty minutes during
that span. Solid defense and physical play are two of the areas
the Ducks need to build on. 
     "I'm so very happy Anaheim picked me up. I'm sorry about my
English, because I speak little. I love this stadium...
California, I am so happy, you know," said an excited Salei after
being drafted. Salei credited his coach in Las Vegas, Chris
McSorley (brother of LA's Marty), for the opportunity. 
"He's a great guy, great guy. He's helped me and he gave me a
good chance."  
     Assistant general manager, David McNab, said he was pleased
with how the draft turned out for the Ducks. "We came away from
the draft filling several of our prospective needs. We really got
who we set out to get, so we're really happy with it all."  
     With their second-round pick (35th overall) the Mighty Ducks
selected Matt Cullen, a 19-year-old center from St. Cloud State
of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Due to two
earlier trades, the Mighty Ducks did not have a third- or fourth-
round pick in this year's draft. Brendan Buckley, a defenseman
who played for Boston College of Hockey East in 1995-96, was
Anaheim's fifth-round selection (113th overall). 
     In the sixth round, the Mighty Ducks selected goaltender
Blaine Russell 149th overall from the Prince Albert Raiders of
the Western Hockey League (WHL). In the seventh round, with the
165th pick overall, the Mighty Ducks selected defensemen Timo
Ahmaoja from Jypht (Junior Lengue) in Finland. Defenseman Kevin
Kellett from the WHL Prince Albert Raiders was the team's eighth-
round choice (198th overall). The team wrapped up the 1996 NHL
Entry Draft by selecting winger Tobias Johansson from Malmo in
Sweden. 

Wilson Named Team USA Head Coach 

     In other Ducks news, Head coach Ron Wilson was selected to
coach Team USA at the World Cup.  Wilson, who in April led Team
USA to a bronze medal at the 1996 World Championships, has been
the Ducks' head coach since the team first joined the NHL in
1993. The bronze medal marked the first time Team USA had earned
a medal in the A-level since 1962's squad captured the bronze
medal. 
     "Ron Wilson has the experience and leadership qualities it
takes to coach this U.S. squad at the World Cup of Hockey," said
Mighty Ducks Vice President/Gereral Manager Jack Ferreira, who
also is serving as assistant general manager to Team USA for the
World Cup of Hockey. "He is a perfect fit for the job." 
     The Mighty Ducks finished the 1995-96 season strong under
Wilson, earning the second-best record in the Western Conference
over the last two months of the regular season and missing the
playoffs by the slimmest of margins. The Ducks tied for the
eighth-and-final playoff spot with Winnipeg but lost the first
tiebreaker of total wins. Anaheim played particularly well 
at home during the latter part of the seoson, closing out the
year with a franchise-record nine-game home unbeaten streak
(8-0-1). 
     "I'm honored and privileged to have the opportunity to coach
Team USA at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey," said Wilson. "I'm
excited about the tournament and look forward to the
competition." 
     Though he was born in Canada, Wilson was raised in the
United States and remains a U.S. citizen. He is a four-time
player for U.S. National Teams (1975, 1981, 1983, 1987) and
coached the 1994 squad at the World Championships in Italy, 
leading Team USA, to a 4-4-0 record with a fourth-place finish - 
their highest ranking since 1991 before this past season's bronze 
medal. Wilson led the U.S. team to its first victory over Rvssia
in international competition since the 1980 "miracle on ice" game
during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, NY. 
     Wilson's Team USA squad will begin preparing for the 1996
World Cup of Hockey sometime in mid-August. He will return to
Anaheim and join the Mighty Ducks at the club's 1996-97 training
camp upon Teem USA's completion in tournament play. The Mighty
Ducks' training camp is scheduled to begin the first week of
September and will be run by Anaheim assistant coaches and staff
until Wilson returns. 


---------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON BRUINS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 40-31-11; 91 points.
Finished: 2nd in Northeast, 8th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Quaterfinals to the Florida Panthers 4-1.

Goals Scored: 282 (tied 4th)
Goals Allowed: 269 (17th)
Power Play: 18.7% (11th)
Penalty Killing: 80.4% (20th)

SEASON RECAP by Matt Brown

     The best thing you can say about the Bruins' season was that
they didn't suffer the ultimate ignominy of missing the playoffs
for the first time in a generation.  Well, maybe that's not the
best thing, but it sure as shootin' avoided the worst.  If team
and fan expectations hadn't been so high to begin with, their
valiant play to climb out of the coffin and make the playoffs,
bypassing the hated Habs in the process, would have been a memory
Bruins' fans would cherish.  After all, second in the Northeast,
fifth in the conference, eighth in the NHL, that's not so bad a
year, is it?  But more was expected from this team -- they
"shoulda been a contenduh."  
     Bruins management made several major moves designed to mold
this team into a contender.  Unfortunately, the team they built
would have had to board a time machine to win a Cup.  Kevin
Stevens, Shawn McEachern, Joey Mullen, and Peter Taglianetti were
all obtained from the Penguins to add offense and Cup-winning
experience.  This might have been a Cup-winning trade, if
completed four years ago.  By the end of the season, only
McEachern had made a significant impact.  Stevens was banished,
Mullen was twice seriously injured, and Taglianetti spent the
year in the minors.  Another aquisition, Todd Elik, 
ping-ponged between brilliant, aimless, and doghoused in
Providence.  Rick Zombo, brought in from St. Louis to replace
David Shaw, did so, but by the end of the season he was on the
Disabled List. 
     All told, these moves had a negative effect on the team, as
the power-play and penalty-kill ratings fell through the floor in
the first half of the season, plunging from among  the league's
best the prior year, to among the NHL's worst.  Several other
personnel decisions, such as sending Alexei Kasatonov to the
Gulag Archipelago (well, actually Rhode Island) for ideological
reasons (he and coach Steve Kasper were at odds), the infamous
and poorly planned Neely and Stevens benching in Toronto, and
Kasper's seemingly endless line-juggling, along with the pressure
the players were putting on themselves, combined to make Boston a
fairly miserable place to play hockey in 1995-96. 
     The Bruins made several other trades to bolster the team
during the season, truly as "stop the bleeding" efforts.  The two
main ones, Stevens to the Kings for Rick Tocchet, and Mariusz
Czerkawski and Sean Brown to Edmonton for Bill Ranford, were
quite successful.  Some other ones, like aquiring Dean Chynoweth
from the Isles and trading Steve Leach to St. Louis for two young
guys (Kevin Sawyer and Steve Staios), while picking up free agent
Ron Sutter, were of the bandaid variety.  Each of these players
had a positive impact on the team, sometimes in unexpected ways
(Dean coming out of the penalty box to score an unlikely
breakaway goal to beat Philly in a game that sent the Bruins on
their longest winning streak of the season).  But none had the
impact of the Tocchet and Ranford aquisitions. 
     Once they got to the playoffs, it was perhaps a bit much to
expect that they would lift themselves up again and continue to
play over their heads to beat Florida.  They didn't.  They were
essentially out-Bruined: Florida played a physical, hardworking,
lunchbucket series, with every line contributing, good defense,
and fine goaltending.  Boston didn't measure up, hard as they
tried.  It is a consolation, however slim, that again the team 
that took the Bruins out in the first round went to the Stanley
Cup Finals, rather than being toasted in the second round, which
would have made the Bruins look even worse. 

TEAM MVP:  There is no question that the player who had
the greatest impact on the Bruins this year was Bill Ranford.
Obtained in February, when the Bruins were mired low in the
standings, Ranford, the prodigal goalie, steadied the team and
gave it confidence at the goaltending position.  In a season
where it seemed that every mistake ended up in the net, Bill
Ranford's play immediately gave the Bruins hope.  The team
rallied 'round the goaltender, and reeled off an impressive win
streak that vaulted them from 10th place in the Eastern
Conference to a fifth place finish, just a  point short of home
ice in the playoffs.  

Ranford, while tending to be overdramatic -- at times seeming to
take the phrase "the goalie stood on his head" literally -- had
poise, something neither Blaine Lacher or Craig Billington showed
consistently.  While people raved about Grant Fuhr's 79-game
iron-man stint for St. Louis, few noticed that Ranford was just
behind Grant with 77 games played between Edmonton and Boston. 
Oh, by the way, Ranford had four more wins (34 to 30) than Fuhr.

If there was a 2MVP (second most valuable), it would have to be
Rick Tocchet, who reminded the Bruins what it meant to stick up
for teammates, take the body, go to the net, and sacrifice your
body to score a goal.  In the quest to remake the Bruins for the 
90s, with the bigger ice surface and emphasis on speed and
finesse, some parts of good old Bruins hockey were left behind.
That is, until Rick Tocchet brought them back.  Tocchet clearly
emerged as the on-ice leader in the second half of the season,
and went a long way to make up for the bust that was Kevin
Stevens. 

SURPRISES:  Without a doubt, the most unexpected happening
was that Kyle McLaren emerged as a solid NHL defenseman at the
tender age of 18.  McLaren was brought in for a look at training
camp, without much expectation that he would make the team.
However, as camp progressed, it quickly became clear that the
question was not "is the kid ready?" but "can the Bruins sign
him?"  When the puck dropped in October, Kyle was in the starting 
lineup with Ray Bourque.  By the middle of the season, he was the
youngest player remaining on NHL rosters.  By the end of the
season, he was selected to the All-Rookie first team, along with
Miami's Ed Jovanovski. 

Kyle brought size and toughness to the team's defense.  More
importantly, he brought desire and effort to the rink every
night.  Every rookie makes rookie mistakes, and Kyle made his
share.  But more often than not, the player who hustled back and
made a great play to make up for Kyle's mistake was... Kyle
McLaren.  

No, Kyle wasn't a Bobby Orr or Raymond Bourque clone.  In a way,
though, that is good, because Kyle set his own standard for a
Bruins rookie defenseman.  The proof?  Bruins brass is already
talking about first-round draft pick defenseman Jonathan Aitken
being the next... Kyle McLaren.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The 95-96 season.  Hopes were high in
Boston that the team's off-season moves would work out.  Fans
wanted to think that the new coach, new arena, new uniforms, and
new players would inject a winning spirit into the Bruins.  In
each case, the Bruins let their fans down.  While many fans put
too much blame on the coach, you can't deny that he failed to
bring the team together, and failed to inspire them.  Kasper did
little to help himself with the team or the fans.  When fans can
look back at coaches as lively as Terry O'Reilly, Mike Milbury,
Don Cherry, and yes, Brian Sutter, what chance does a guy whose
trademark gesture is folding his arms and pouting have of 
winning their confidence? 

The Fleetcenter was beautiful, but it never rocked like the
Garden. When the players wore the special events "Yogi" sweaters,
they played like it looked - atrocious.  

Collectively, the new players were a bust.  Meanwhile, players
the Bruins had counted on were either gone or forgettable. 
Blaine Lacher, playing for the first time without a fiery coach,
looked like a first grader lost at the mall.  The team missed the
grit of Brent Hughes, the spunk of Bryan Smolinski, and the
in-your-face attitude of Jamie Huscroft.  Did it only seem like
every ex-Bruin in the league scored a critical goal against the
Bs? 

Injuries also took a toll, as the preseason lineup rarely took
the ice in one piece.  Adam Oates missed twelve games near the
start, putting the Bruins in a hole they took all season to fill. 
Neely played well, but fans could see from the beginning that the 
spark was not there, only to find out that his hip was bad from
the start.  Don Sweeney, likewise, was troubled by an ailing
shoulder, and he never was the physical presence he had been just
a year before.  Joey Mullen's scary neck injury prevented him
from having the hoped-for veteran influence on the younger
players.  Finally, since space aliens did not visit the
Fleetcenter this season, Al Iafrate was, again, no help at all.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Bruins have already begun shaping
next year's club and it appears they'll be going back to more of
an old school look.  Iafrate was sent packing to San Jose in
exchange for Jeff Odgers, while Shawn McEachern was dealt to
Ottawa for Trent McCleary.  Odgers served as San Jose's captain
last season and scored 12 goals to go along with 192 penalty
minutes.  He's a gutty competitor that will stand up for his
teammates when things get ugly.  Meanwhile, McCleary scored four
goals and 14 points in 75 games last season during his rookie
campaign for the Senators.  He has the ability to get under the
opposition's skin and also enjoys throwing the big hit.  Both
should help bring a more tenacious, physical presence to the club
next season.       


---------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFALO SABRES
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 33-42-7; 73 points.
Finished: 5th in Northeast, 20th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 247 (tied 14th) 
Goals Allowed: 262 (16th) 
Power Play: 15.9% (20th) 
Penalty Killing: 83.9% (6th)  

SEASON RECAP by Valeri Hammerl

     It was a long season for the Buffalo Sabres.   
     It started with the decision of GM and Coach John Muckler to
step down from his coachng duties.  The roller-coaster ride
continued when star winger Alexander Mogilny was traded to the
Vancouver Canucks for Mike Peca, Mike Wilson, and a draft pick
(Jay McKee).   
     Next came the loss of defenseman Richard Smehlik in a
training exercise.  Smehlik, who had eagerly begun working out
with the Sabres' new trainer, sustained an injury that would cost
him the entire season.  
     The hunt for a coach continued, and the victor was none of
the favored frontrunners but instead Ted Nolan, who brought only
one year of NHL experience as an assistant coach but came with a
solid background with the OHL and a reputation of being a miracle
worker with young players.   Little did the Sabres know how much
they would need that experience.   
     Winger Donald Audette's nagging knee injury brought him in
and out of the lineup, and he finally had surgery midway through
the season; costing the Sabres their most dangerous goal-scorer
at the time.  
     Defenseman Craig Muni was traded for Darryl Shannon and
Michal Grosek.  Bob "the boogey man" Boughner, who once played
for Nolan in juniors, was brought in to shore up the team's
muscle.  Doug Bodger was shipped to San Jose.  Yet the biggest 
obstacle was yet to come.   
     Dominik Hasek, two-time Vezina winner and All-Star 
goaltender, was injured.  Filling in was backup netminder Andrei
Trefilov, signed as a free agent just that summer.  Up came Steve
Shields as backup, fresh from Rochester, as the Amerks' leading
goaltender, Robb Stauber, was out with a torn rotator cuff.  A
few games later Trefilov was injured.  Martin Biron, the team's
goalie of the future was called up on an emergency basis from
juniors.  The Sabres scrambled, signing John Blue.  So with their
top three goaltenders in the system hurt, they were forced to
carry on with a goaltender who was never able to stick in the
NHL, a goaltender who had not played in the NHL prior to callup,
and an untested eighteen-year-old from junior that makes Patrick
Roy look huge.   
     Those were some of the longest weeks of the season for the
Sabres.  With playoff hopes sinking, the team traded Yuri Khmylev
and Dave Hannan.  They retired the numbers of the remaining
two-thirds of the French Connection line (Gilbert Perrault had
his number retired some years earlier).  They retired Tim
Horton's number two, a ceremony intended for last season but
prevented due to the lockout-shortened season, when the Sabres
didn't end up playing Toronto (Horton's widow insisted the number
be retired before a game against the Leafs).  Then they honored
the men behind the franchise, Seymour and Northrup Knox.  In a
stirring ceremony, both men were inducted into the Sabres Hall of
Fame.  A new look was in the works for the team:   New uniforms,
with a new logo and new colors.  Gone were the blue and gold of 
the past 26 seasons, in came red, white, and black.  Out was the
white bison over crossed sabers, in was a snarling bison head. 
And the end of change, the team bid farewell to Buffalo Memorial
Auditorium.  The team will play at Marine Midland in the fall.
  
     The most crushing blow for the team came but a few weeks
ago, long after the team had finished the season.  Seymour H.
Knox III, long-time President of the club and its founding owner,
passed away from cancer.  Knox spearheaded the drive for Marine
Midland Arena, and supervised its progress until a few weeks
before his death.  It is believed that Knox's farewell to the
Aud speech was intended as a farewell to the many fans and former
players by Knox, who did not live to see the completion or
dedication of the arena he built.  In his own words, "Farewell,
old friend."

TEAM MVP:  The most valuable player was nearby Fort Erie,
Ontario native Randy Burridge (25 goals and 58 points in 74
games).  Burridge, who was on all four lines at various times,
was a free-agent walk-in at camp.  He had played in Boston,
Washington, and Los Angles, but wanted a one-way contract. 
Buffalo was willing to grant him one, and he repaid his hometown
team by being a force every night, doing the dirty work going
into the corners and in front of the net.  Buffalo took a chance
on Burridge, who'd had knee surgery, but he came back 100% and
put out 110%.

SURPRISES:  Mike Wilson was the team's top rookie.  The
young defenseman spent his entire first season in the NHL, and
never looked out of place.  Wilson shows promise of being one of
the team's top defensemen.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Brian Holzinger has begun to show
promise as well.  Last year's Hobey Baker winner, Holzinger
struggled in Buffalo (10 goals and 20 points in 58 games), but
blossomed in Rochester after the Sabres' season wrapped up. 
Holzinger scored the winning goal that earned the Americans the
Calder Cup.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Sabres need to address a need up
front.  While they have a strong goaltending in Hasek, Trefilov
and Biron, and a fairly young defense, their key need is a center
to replace Pat LaFontaine, although this year promises to be a
weak draft (the Sabres have the seventh pick).  The bulk of the
team's centers are exceedingly small, as are several other
players.  Look for the Sabres to go for size as a consideration.


---------------------------------------------------------------
CALGARY FLAMES
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 34-37-11; 79 points.
Finished: 2nd in Pacific, 15th overall, lost in Western
Conference Quarterfinals to Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.

Goals Scored: 241 (16th)
Goals Allowed: 240 (8th)
Power Play: 18.4% (12th)
Penalty Killing: 80.1% (22nd)

SEASON RECAP by Ryan Ferris

     The 1995-96 NHL season formed as a cloud of doom and gloom
for the Calgary Flames.  It seemed like everyone was jumping
ship.  Perennial 40-goal man Robert Reichel opted to play in 
Germany.  Joel Otto defected to Philly for more money.  Kelly
Kisio retired.  Wes Walz, the fifth man in the center depth
chart, signed with the Detroit Red Wings.  Worst of all, the
team's long-time captain and former rookie of the year Joe
Nieuwendyk was engulfed in a bitter contract dispute with then GM
Doug Risebrough.  Couple that with the fact that the team had no
home base due to renovations at the Saddledome, and the preseason
expectations of the Flames were predictably low. 
     As expected, the Flames struggled in the first few months of
the season.  After winning only three of their first 21 games,
they found themselves in a dogfight for last overall early in the
month of November with the New York Islanders and San Jose
Sharks, somewhere they had never been in their 15-year tenure in
Calgary. 
     Through the initial lows, first year coach Pierre Page's
managed to maintain an upbeat, positive attitude that withstood
the agony of seeing his team continually lose by one and two
goals per game.  In the end, however, the will was only so
strong, as the team experienced the turning point of the season
in Boston as Page exploded in the now somewhat infamous "One
Minute Late For Practice" episode.   Banished from practice that
day were two or three key members of the team, including
defenseman Steve Chiasson.  In a show of solidarity led by Ron
Stern, the entire team chose not to practice that day, instead
partaking in a lengthy "players only" meeting. 
     The incident followed a brutal outing in Boston the night
before and preceded one of the club's toughest outings of the
year - a road game at the Igloo in Pittsburgh.  The team didn't
win the game against the Penguins, but their new cohesiveness in
the dressing room and patience shown by the coaching staff
started to pay dividends, as the Flames became the NHL's 
hottest team into the All-Star break, and challenged to the final
day of the season for home-ice advantage in the Western
Conference playoffs.  Also key to this turnaround in performance
was the remarkable and inspirational return of Gary Roberts to
the lineup. 
     Despite their early departure from this year's playoffs to
the Chicago Blackhawks, this edition of the Calgary Flames
managed to play above and beyond any reasonable expectations that
might have been placed on them at the start of the season.  The
team received timely and occasionally spectacular goaltending
from the Trevor Kidd/Rick Tabaracci tandem.  The defensive
corps, led by Steve Chiasson, Zarley Zalapski and James Patrick,
was consistent and proved to be the anchor and savior of the club
on many nights.  The team also received valuable contributions
from utility players such as Corey Millen, Claude Lapointe, Jamie
Huscroft and Dean Evason.  

TEAM MVP:  Honorable mention has to go to Theo Fleury, who
continued to show his grit and emerged as a true leader this
season as the captain of the Calgary Flames.  With his invitation
to join Team Canada this summer at the World Cup of Hockey, he
has officially earned the title of Calgary's "Franchise Player". 
Although he has a bad reputation throughout the league, there is
little doubt that the 25 other coaches in the NHL would love to
have a player of his magnitude wearing their team jersey.  In my
estimation he improved his play this year and now stands as one
of the league's best all-round players.

The winner of this year's MVP honor is Gary Roberts.  Hands down. 
It was his determination and raw athletic ability that helped
transform an average team into a good one.  Whenever he was
in the lineup this season the entire squad played better because
of it.  Finishing just under a goal a game in his brief comeback
stint, one can only speculate how good his season would've
been if he had the chance to play healthy for a full slate of 82
games.

SURPRISES:  One event that could be categorized as both a
surprise and a disappointment would be the up and down play of
Marty Murray.  A star at the world junior level, he had an
impressive preseason and looked to have a lock on a spot with the
big club.  However, he was demoted the first few weeks into the
regular season to Saint John of the AHL, even though the Flames 
desperately needed his scoring punch. 

Pavel Torgajev was a pleasant surprise in his rookie season, as
was Corey Stillman.  Torgajev combined with German Titov to
create some fine Russian chemistry and proved he was willing to
play the rough and tough style of North American hockey.  
Stillman, who has spent three years in the Flames' development
system, took advantage of his opportunity this season and looks
like he will finally develop into a productive NHLer.

A minor surprise is the off-season re-signing of Sandy McCarthy
to a contract that will pay him just under $1 million per season
for the next three years.  McCarthy only showed a few  
glimpses of a goal-scorer's touch last season and has yet to
learn when and how to best use his size to intimidate the
opposition, as was proven by his Game Three attack on Chris
Chelios that basically quashed any hopes his team had of
rebounding versus the Blackhawks this past spring.  Having
already established himself as one of the best fighters in the
league, he hasn't quite reached the NHL level with his skating
ability.  In signing McCarthy, the Flames no doubt factored in
the grim thought of perhaps having to play against Sandy one day.

Most intriguing is the team's use of their 13th pick in the 1996
draft to select defenseman Derek Morris who was rated as high as
85th by NHL Central Scouting.  Maybe Al Coates and Flames 
scouting staff knows something that the rest of the NHL doesn't?
  
DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Disappointments for this season include
the production (or lack of) by Paul Kruse and the attitude of
Michael Nylander.  Nylander continued to show flashes of
offensive brilliance this season, but never quite worked his way
out of Pierre Page's doghouse due to his indifference for
defensive play.  Kruse, who was projected as a 20- or 30-goal man
after his successes of the 1994-95 season, saw his productivity
fall far short of those numbers this year.

Goaltender Trevor Kidd also found himself on the outside looking
in on a number of instances this past season as he was forced to
share his number one spot with Tabaracci.  Although he finished
the year by playing some of his best hockey ever, he has a long
way to go to ease the Flames' minds for selecting him the first
goaltender in his draft year, ahead of Felix Potvin and Martin
Brodeur.

In the area of disappointments, perhaps the early departure of
the team (again) from the postseason should be addressed.  They
appeared to match up well against Chicago in the regular
season as they did not lose to the Hawks all year, but were
clearly outmatched in the playoffs.  In the end it was simply a
case of David versus Goliath and the Flames did not have enough
gas left in the tank to cap off their amazing mid-season
turnaround.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The changes have already begun as
Calgary literally stole Dave Gagner from the Toronto Maple
Leafs on draft day for a third-round draft pick.  The club will
need to swing one or two more deals to solidify the front line
which now has a gaping hole in the power forward slot with the
recent retirement of Roberts.  If Kruse is unable to fill the
spot, the team will have to go to an outside source.

The Calgary Flames actually find themselves in a favorable
position for the first time in a couple of years, although they
won't see dividends for a few seasons yet.  The minor league
affiliate in Saint John fought their way to the semifinals of the
Calder Cup on the play of some young talent working their way to
the big club.  Two names reported to be ready to make the 
move up are defensemen Denis Gauthier and Jamie Allison.  That
leaves the Flames with the flexibility to move one of their big
money defensemen, likely Zarley Zalapski, to pick up some
help at forward.  

Reports are that Michael Nylander will not report back to the
club to play for Pierre Page.  With the lack of depth at forward,
Calgary may find themselves with a number of rookies in the
lineup next year.  Included in that group will be any combination
of Jarome Iginla, Chris Dingman, Jesper Mattson and Murray. 
Ladislav Kohn also got a look from the Flames earlier in the
season and may find himself with another shot next year.  Jarrod
Skalde also finished the year playing well in the minors.
     
Now that the Flames have themselves a full time GM in Al Coates,
the off-season should prove to be interesting.  Coates proved in
the 1995-96 season that he is not afraid to make the big deal in
acquiring Iginla, and may begin his rebuilding by luring Robert
Reichel back to the Stampede city.
  
Want a prediction?  Don't be surprised if the Flames find
themselves starting the 1996-97 season without the luxury of two
starting goaltenders.  Stay tuned.



---------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 40-28-14, 94 points.
Finished: 2nd in Central, 6th overall, lost in Western Conference
Semifinals to Colorado Avalanche 4-2.

Goals Scored: 273 (8th)
Goals Allowed: 220 (5th)
Power Play: 17.7% (15th)
Penalty Killing: 85.5% (3rd)


SEASON RECAP by Dan Glovier

     The Hawks 1995-96 hockey season was one heck of an
interesting year. Rookie coach Craig Hartsburg had to take over a
veteran team that was predicted to challenge for the Cup. There
was the story of Bob Probert's recovery from drug and alcohol
addiction. Jeremy Roenick and management barked at each other,
only to mysteriously make nice shortly thereafter. Rookie Eric
Daze was impressing the hockey world not only with his physical
skill, but with his poise and heady play. They never challenged
Detroit for the division title, but everyone awaited the playoffs
with anticipation. And they were rewarded as the Hawks played
gamely, only to lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in six
games.

TEAM MVP:  This year, without doubt, the MVP of the Hawks
was Chris Chelios. Not only did he lead the team in scoring (72
points), but his play on the blue line was rock solid. He took
heroic shifts of epic proportions that seemingly lasted for days.
At one point I think he was logging more ice time than the
starting goalies. He's simply an amazing player. To top it off,
he has this year's Norris trophy to prove it, too.

SURPRISES:  This year's big surprise is a tough call. Bob
Probert played a solid campaign his first year back after rehab.
Eric Daze had a wonderful season and was a finalist for the
Calder trophy. Keith Carney also stepped up on defense when Steve
Smith went down. But this year's biggest surprise has to be
goalie Jeff Hackett. If you had told anyone before the season
started that Hackett would play 35 games this year for the Hawks,
no one would have believed you. If you told them that Hackett
would have more shutouts than Belfour (four to one), have a lower
goals-against average (2.40 to 2.78), as well as a better save
percentage (.916 to .902), they would have thought that you had
gone crazy in the head. Well, it happened. Eddie had some minor
injuries all year long, and this forced the Hawks to play Jeff
more than usual. Boy, did he respond. He had his best year
as an NHL goalie, and he did it with extreme professionalism.
When Eddie came back 100% healthy, not once did he complain about
his number of starts. A great year for a great team player.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  This year's biggest disappointment, by
far, was the inability of the Hawks to get another winger of some
skill before the trade deadline. All they managed to get for
their big playoff run was tough guy Enrico Ciccone. I guess
Probert wasn't enough.

The irony of all this is that Igor Ulanov, one of the players
traded to Tampa for Enrico, played the man-beast Eric Lindros
very tough in an extremely physical playoff series. This is
something that Ciccone could not provide the Hawks in the
playoffs. Hey, how physical can you be while you're stuck on the
bench? Plus, after Tony Amonte went down, the Hawks really,
really could have used another winger of some skill in their
series with Colorado. Really.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Hawks are facing some crossroads
this off-season. They need to re-sign Jeremy Roenick. Period.
However, there are some other centermen on this team that need to
be signed as well, and I'm not too sure how many of them will
make it back to the Hawks next year. Bernie Nicholls, Brent
Sutter, and Denis Savard are all free agents. The Hawks aren't
willing to give Bernie a multi-year deal, so it looks like he may
be gone. There are rumors that the Hawks are trying to persuade
Savard to retire, but Denny isn't having any of that. Sutter will
probably be re-signed to a one-year deal, if he doesn't retire.
Getting some help down the middle couldn't be stressed enough
this off-season. Also going the free-agent route this year is Joe
Murphy, Brent Grieve, and James Black.

One thing to keep in mind is the Hawks playoff series against
Colorado. They gave Colorado the best series of any team, and an
argument can be made that if Chelios, Amonte, Craven, and Belfour
had not been nicked up during the series, the Hawks *may* have
won the series. Since they were the only team to push Colorado to
any degree, an argument could also be made that they would have
had a very good chance to take the Cup. This could be the
attitude that management takes this year. They may replace
players with "like" players, and not do anything overly drastic
and hope for better luck next year.

One ray of hope to Hawk fans who want to see some movement with
the team is that the Hawks did sign Keith Tkachuk to the offer
sheet last year that had more zeroes in it than a World War Two
movie. That is a very un-Hawky thing to do. 


---------------------------------------------------------------
COLORADO AVALANCHE
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 47-25-10; 104 points.
Finished: 1st in Pacific, 2nd overall, won Stanley Cup.

Goals Scored: 326 (2nd)
Goals Allowed: 240 (8th)
Power Play: 21.3% (2nd)
Penalty Killing: 83.8% (7th)

SEASON RECAP by Matt Gitchell and Michael Dell

     It was a team that would take it all, but at first it didn't
appear that way.  In June of 1995, Noridiques owner Marcel Aubut
announced that the Nordiques, after 18 years in the city of
Quebec, would be sold to Comsat entertainment, and subsequently
relocated to Denver. The team would henceforth be known as the
Colorado Avalanche, and it would be the 1996 Stanley Cup
Champion. 
     Not only did the franchise have a new city, it was also
looking for some new team chemistry.  A huge trade just before
the start of the season for the Avs was the three-way deal that
sent holdout Wendel Clark to the New York Islanders and brought
back Claude Lemieux from New Jersey in return. Lemieux provided
some much-needed locker room leadership and playoff experience
for a team that was accused of having neither. His mere presence
seemed to bring a new winning attitude to the club just in time
for the start of the season.   
     Opening night came, and during the course of the game big
Uwe Krupp went out with a blown knee (three torn ligaments),
presumably gone for the season. This left a big hole in the
already questionable Avalanche defense, taking away the best
offensive player in the blue-line corps. 
     This turn of events prompted Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix to
take some drastic action. Lacroix put grinding forward Owen Nolan
on the trading block, snagging Sandis Ozolinsh from the San Jose
Sharks. Ozolinsh brought an extra dimension to the Avalanche blue
line, a point man who could quarterback the power play and jump
in on the offense. Colorado fans would not be disappointed, as
Ozolinsh led defenseman in scoring during the postseason, and
came up with a huge overtime goal that clinched the Western
Conference semifinals. 
     Remarkably, Krupp would return six months to the day after
his injury (doctors had basically told him to write off the
season), play the last six games of the regular season, and go on
to score the Cup-clinching goal in Game Four of the Stanley Cup
Finals and be the first German to have his name inscribed on the
trophy. 
     The season ticked along, in kind of a streaky fashion, until
December, when Patrick Roy had his now famous run-in with the
Canadiens after getting shelled for nine goals against the
Detroit Red Wings. Roy was traded two days later with Habs
captain Mike Keane, joining the Avalanche in exchange for
talented backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault and wingers Martin
Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko. 
     At first the trade was questioned here in town, but most
doubters had grown to love the goalie by the time he nabbed his
300th win against Edmonton in January. Roy's ordinary season with
the Avalanche had a lot of people asking questions about the man
moving here, but those in the know just patted them on the back
and said, "wait 'til the playoffs, you'll see." And see they did.

     Toward the end of the season, the Avs would steal Dave
Hannan away from the Buffalo Sabres for a sixth-round draft pick.
Hannan would see some action in the playoffs, serving as a key
face-off man and bringing some more grit and veteran leadership
to the locker room. 
     As for the stable of talent that the Avs/Nordiques already
had, one couldn't complain. Joe Sakic, who has been a brilliant
goal scorer since he's been in the league, notched his first
50-goal season, and Peter Forsberg, last year's Calder Trophy
winner, would reinforce the belief that he's one of the
greatest talents in the league and is just a few season's away
from reaching true superstar status. Forsberg's game continued to
evolve, with his playmaking skills never in doubt, and during the
playoffs he showed that he can be a very effective physical
player as well. Sakic had his best season to date, showing on-ice
leadership and off, and during the postseason he had a banner
effort, scoring 18 goals and securing the Conn Smythe. 
     The squad also showed a lot of future promise as well.
Rookie Stephane Yelle would prove himself a brilliant defensive
forward, and the man that the Avalanche often relied on for
defensive-zone faceoffs.  Yelle, along with young players like
Jon Klemm, Rene Corbet, Chris Simon, and Adam Deadmarsh, seems to
indicate that the Avalanche have a promising future as well
as present. 
     Place all these elements behind last year's Jack Adams Award
Winner, Marc Crawford, and you have a team that was destined for
greatness. They met each playoff challenge given to them, and
seemed to improve throughout, moving through Vancouver, Chicago,
and Detroit in six games each, before denying the Panthers in
four. As each series progressed, it seemed like more and more
elements fell into place for the team. 
     Sakic was unstoppable. 
     Forsberg ran hot and cold with scoring, but even when he was
off his offensive game he contributed with a punishing physical
game. 
     Roy was phenomenal in the playoffs, never losing two games
in a row, and he was a wall in the finals, stopping 147 of 151
shots, and his goals-against average in the finals was a simply
insane 0.84. 
     This is a team that seems to have some bright years ahead,
and the NHL will have a force to reckon with in the Colorado
Avalanche for some time. 

TEAM MVP:  Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg were the top two
guns in the Colorado attack.  Each set career highs in goals and
points; finishing third and fifth respectively in league scoring. 
MVP honors, though, have to go to Sakic.  He was the team's most
consistent scoring threat throughout the entire season, always
giving an honest effort night in and night out.  Sakic wears the
C in Colorado with pride and leads his teammates with a quiet,
hard-working manner.  The result is that Sakic is without a doubt
the most well-liked and respected member of the team.  

SURPRISES:  When Stephane Yelle was drafted by the New
Jersey Devils in the eighth round of the 1992 Entry Draft, not
many expected him to make an impact in the NHL.  However,
Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix saw something in the lanky 6'1", 165-
pound native of Ottawa and traded for the young center in his
first official player transaction as a general manager.  The cost
to aquire Yelle was simply swapping eleventh-round picks with the
Devils.  The benefits of the deal will be reaped in Colorado for
many years to come.  

In his first year of NHL action this season, Yelle appeared in 71
games and scored 13 goals and 27 points while demonstrating a
great deal of intelligence for the defensive aspects of the game. 
Yelle also excelled on faceoffs and as a penalty killer, becoming
the type of player every team would love to have.  His progress
continued in the playoffs, where he often worked on a checking
line with Mike Keane and Mike Ricci.  Yelle looks to have a very
bright future ahead of him.   

Another awfully big surprise this season was the fact that the
Avalanche were able to acquire Patrick Roy from Montreal.  At the
beginning of the season, the idea of Roy being traded by the
Canadiens was simply ridiculous.  Unlike the rest of the hockey
world, Colorado was not stunned by the happenings in Montreal and
quickly took advantage of them.  The result was a Stanley Cup.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  There really weren't a lot of
disappointments this season for the Avalanche.  Mike Ricci's
injury-riddled regular season performance would have qualified if
not for a brilliant playoff showing that erased any memories of
early-season struggles.  All in all, it was a banner first season
for the Colorado Avalanche.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Avalanche traded away backup
goalie Stephane Fiset (you had to know this was coming, the guy's
just too damn good to be sitting on the bench all the time) to
the L. A. Kings for Eric Lacroix (Pierre's son) and a swap of
first-round draft picks next year.  A checking winger, Lacroix
was one of the Kings' most popular players for his gritty,
physical style of play.  He also has good speed and decent
skills, enough to possibly develop into a 25-goal man for the
Avalanche. The downside of the trade is that now Roy is left
without a proven backup. Look for a deal to be made to remedy the
situation.

Marc Crawford is still negotiating with the Avs for a new
contract. He made about $200,000 last year, and he won the
Stanley Cup. He's asking about $700,000-800,000.

Rumor also has it that Peter Forsberg will be seeking a hefty
raise.  Pierre Lacroix, as a personal rule, does not like to re-
negotiate contracts.  However, he might have to make an exception
in this case.  Look for Forsberg to get a new deal that will pay
him in the $3-million range that Joe Sakic is in, anything more
than Sakic should be out of the question.  

The Avalanche don't have any unrestricted free agents, but they
do have a few important restricted ones.  Valeri Kamensky, Scott
Young, Chris Simon, Stephane Yelle, and Alexei Gusarov are all
free to test the free-agent waters.  They should all be re-
signed, except for maybe Gusarov.  The veteran Russian blueliner
was exceptional in the playoffs, but there are younger, cheaper
players that will be looking to take the 32-year-old's place.  


---------------------------------------------------------------
DALLAS STARS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 26-42-14; 66 points.
Finished: 6th in Central, 22nd overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 227 (23rd)
Goals Allowed: 280 (19th)
Power Play: 15.1% (23rd)
Penalty Killing: 80.4% (21st)

SEASON RECAP by Jim Panenka

     The 1995-1996 season was an embarrassing mess for the Dallas
Stars. One of the biggest disappointments was that they 
failed to make the playoffs for the first time since moving to
Texas from Minnesota.  
     Stars fans had little to cheer about during the season. And,
what little boost they got from all the significant changes that
occurred throughout the year soon disappeared, as the club
disintegrated and fell into the cellar. When the dust settled,
Dave Gagner, Shane Churla, Paul Broten, Trent Klatt, and Doug
Zmolek all had been traded away. The team never solidified, and
failed to show any consistency in correcting all the mistakes
that were made along the way. An anonymous fan was overheard
expressing this summary of the year: "We got the best damn
backwards-skaters in the league!"  The Stars' blueliners got a
lot of practice skating backwards this past year. So did the
forwards, for that matter. Just about every aspect of the team's
play suffered in one way or another. 
     The power play got a good start to the season, and because
of it the team went on to win seven of the first 10 games. The
first line of Adams-Modano-Gagner crashed the net and opened up
play in general early on, and the games were higher-scoring
overall than the previous year. The majority of the final scores
in 1994-1995 turned out to be 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, etc. Not so for
1995-1996. The first 10 games had final scores that looked more
promising, like 7-5, 7-3, 6-5, and so on. 
     But, major holes in the team began showing up quickly once
the book had gone out on Dallas and its crash-the-net strategy.
The opposition noticed a lack of an effective point anchor during
the power play, and began picking off passes to turn them up-ice
for a short-handed chance. The Stars suddenly began leading the
league in short-handed giveaway goals. Gainey keyed on this and
put Mike Modano and Kevin Hatcher back on the point, which turned
things around for awhile, but the problem kept reoccurring too 
often for the netminders to keep up with. This was one of the key
weaknesses shown all year. 
     The Stars were able to rely on Andy Moog in the past to bail
them out of most giveaways, but that changed for the first time
ever in 1995-1996. Moog is brilliant when he is in his zone, his
sound technical skills and calm demeanor are usually enough to
turn away all but the most tenacious attackers. But, Andy
suffered a knee injury early in the season, which ruined the
momentum he had gained up to that point. He was not able to ever
fully recover from this setback, and began losing concentration
and committing early. His age may have been another factor. 
     His usual replacement was Darcy Wakaluk, who was younger and
more emotional. Wakaluk had more of an intense concentration 
game. Darcy did well in the preseason, and was called on often in
the first 15 games, but ended up posting an average record of 
3-2-3 during that span. Moog and Wakaluk were shuffled in and out
like usual, but neither were able to consistently post wins. 
Wakaluk was too streaky to rely on, and the momentum the offense
had tried to build was stopped cold when they kept facing a one- 
to two-goal deficit, or more, due to questionable goaltending.

     After also losing Wakaluk to injury, Dallas called on three
other backup goaltenders to have an unusually-high total of five
netminders dressed during the season. All three came from the
IHL. There was Manny Fernandez and Jordan Willis from Michigan,
and later on Allan Bester got the call from Orlando. 
     Gainey responded to the losing skid the team began by
throwing the usual line combinations out the door. Modano and
Gagner were given the responsibility of scoring consistently with
a constantly-changing complement of wingers. This move disrupted
whatever bonds the players formed within line combinations. The
unfamiliarity between players caused all sorts of timing and
passing miscues, which brought another key weakness into light.
All too often the Stars coughed up the puck in center ice due to
missed and sloppy passing. What was more scary was that they
began coughing it up on the doorstep, too. This weakness and
others contributed directly to speeding up the losing skid,
rather than slowing it down. 
     The players began ignoring Gainey, and his constricting
defensive system. On January 8, 1996, Gainey resigned as coach
and brought in the head coach of Dallas' farm team, Ken Hitchcock
of the Michigan K-Wings. Gainey remained on as GM, and explained
his resignation as an opportunity for the team to turn the season
around with a new coach, while there was still time. 
     Hitchcock got the team going again at first by prescribing
an aggressive offensive attack. Unfortunately, by the time he
took over, many of the players that began the season were either
out injured or were traded. The changes in the roster and the
system were too much to overcome, combined with poor goaltending.
This toxic recipe led to a trashed season. Hitchcock was unable
to stop it, despite an honest effort. 

TEAM MVP:  On the positive side, there were great
individual performances all year long. Despite three or four
injuries, and more limited ice time once Joe Nieuwendyk and
Benoit Hogue became Stars, Greg Adams was the Dallas power play
this season. He led the team in power-play goals with 11, and
made good with his scoring opportunities by having the second
best shooting percentage at 15.7%. Adams finished with 22 goals,
21 assists. He has had 20+ goal seasons eight times in his
career. "Gus" proved he comes ready to play on April 5, 
against Chicago. He was playing with a broken toe, but still
managed to pull off a beautiful deke around Chris Chelios after
breaking in alone. Adams pulled the puck around Chelios and went
in alone on Jeff Hackett, lifting one above him to make it 3-1
for the Stars. This was after the rest of the team all but dried
up in the last four to five games. Adams gets the nod for second
runner-up for MVP of the year.
 
Of course, Mike Modano figured prominently on the score sheet,
when he decided to show up for games. He led the Stars in 
goals scored (36), most goals in a period (4), most shots taken
(316), and was tied for the lead in assists (45). He is only the
fifth player in franchise history to record three seasons of 80+
points. He has reached the 500 career game, and 500th career
point marks this year. He scored four short-handed goals, and
four game-winning goals. 

Modano did step up as a leader at least once during the season
(ok, that is being a little hard on him, but he does disappear 
at will during some games).  Modano was looking for a winger that
could take place of Ulf Dahlen. Mo often mentions the trade of 
Dahlen as is if he were mourning the death of a friend. As it
turns out, he is really mourning the death of his scoring
opportunities. Without a winger who was a legitimate scoring
threat to take the heat off of him, Modano's point production
suffered. In mid-February, Modano took rookie Jere Lehtinen to
his side, and worked hard to open the valve for Lehtinen as far
as scoring goals.  It finally paid off on February 11, when Jere
scored two goals against Hartford. The very next game Modano and
Lehtinen combined for eight points, Modano with four goals, Jere
with four assists. 

The season was already in the toilet, but the point is he did try
to mix things up. He made a legitimate effort at trying to wake
the team up to make some sort of run for a playoff spot. For
that, he deserves the runner-up for MVP of the season, as 
far as this reporter was concerned. Modano was named as MVP of
the year by the team. 

Who then, gets the coveted MVP from this-here reporter?  It is a
name you may not even know. Drumroll, please... It is number 41,
left winger Brent Gilchrist. Gilchrist was, without a doubt, the
most consistent player in terms of showing up, working hard, and
actually getting recorded on the scoresheet. Gilly developed his
impeccable work-ethic, with several other Stars, in Montreal with
the Habs, and it has really paid off this last year. Gilchrist
was tied for third in goals on the team with 20, was third in
shots taken (163), and was fourth in points with 42, and shooting
percentage (12.3%).  His point total of 42 was his highest since
the 1991-1992 season. He was named the Stars Player of the Month
for March.  What about the consistency? He had six points in
seven games in Oct.-Nov., and seven points in seven games during
March. He also chipped in a three- and four-game point-scoring
streak during different times in 1995-1996.  He was one of the
two players who bagged two short-handed goals during the same
power play against Colorado on December 3, trading for two others
scored during the same power play by Colorado. He had two
three-point games during the year. 

When new coach Ken Hitchcock was asked who was the player that
impressed him most since joining the team, Hitchcock named
Gilchrist. And, to top it off, Gilchrist was the ONLY Star to
make the voting for a post-season league award this last year. He
was tied for 51st in voting for the Selke award for best
defensive forward. Gilchrist had his hand in almost every game he
played during the year. For this he gets the MVP nod.
 
SURPRISES:  There is no question as to what the biggest
surprises were in 1995-1996: there was not only a coaching
change, but an ownership change as well. The Stars began the
season hampered by an owner who was in debt, and did not have the
capital necessary to bring in any serious talent. Former head
coach Bob Gainey did an amazing job of producing wins with what
little talent he had to work with. But, Norman Green saw he
wasn't providing the team with the tools (talent) necessary to
secure a winning season, so he offered up the team for sale.
Gainey saw this as the proper time to step down and bring in a
coach that would give the players all the offensive freedom they
wanted. Hopefully, they would also be picking up a few key
players once ownership was transferred to the cash-rich Thomas
Hicks, to make a last-minute run for the last playoff spot in the
mediocre West.  As it turned out, although both moves were very
positive for the future, neither proved to be the quick-fix the
front office was looking for. 

Another interesting surprise was the strong run backup goalie
Allan Bester made in late January. Jordan Willis and Manny 
Fernandez were not getting the job done during the absence of
Moog and Wakaluk, so the Stars made a surprise move and called in 
Bester from the IHL Orlando Solar Bears. Bester won his first
three games, and the team rallied around the spark he provided
and attempted to make a winning run. Bester finished with a 4-5-1
record, but he still managed to temporarily breathe life into a
dead team. Good job, Allan!

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Oh, where in the hell does one begin?
The biggest disappointment came from the team's players as a
whole. Although many players showed all-star caliber performances
individually (loosely speaking), the team never formed a cohesive
unit. It was a shock when the team showed on several occasions
that they would choke and begin skidding in several clutch
situations. Instead of seizing opportunities to build on positive
momentum, the Stars threw those chances out the window. 

Early in the season, the Stars were close to the top in points
production and overall record in the Western Conference. They
were crashing the net, scoring more points than usual, and were
winning. Instead of building on this, they fell into a freefall
that prompted Gainey to quit. Later in the year, the Stars 
were close to .500, and had a chance to make a run after Winnipeg 
for 8th place, the cutoff point for a playoff spot. Instead, they 
allowed Winnipeg to blow them out 8-2 at home, and virtually lost
any chance to make a trip into the postseason.  

They choked once again during a key moment, and lost any chance
to finish the year out with any self-respect. Forward Bill 
Huard characterized it as one of the softest, most embarrassing
games in his career,  adding "and I spent a long time in Ottawa."

Another big disappointment, although more of a bad break, was
losing newly-acquired center Bob Bassen to a torn ACL in the
preseason. Bassen was regarded as one of the best two-way
forwards around, and the Stars lost the opportunity to use his 
defensive skills to help along the scoring explosion they enjoyed
early on in the season.  Bassen is a real character on the team,
and his spark may have been enough to have kept the team moving
forward. Hopefully he can help pull the guys together next time 
'round. 

Losing Shane Churla was probably one of the biggest
disappointments to the remaining players from 1994-1995. Churla 
was a leader in the locker room, and was responsible for
demonstrating the team's intentions of punishing the opposition
on the ice. He was also a fan-favorite. This trade, along with
Dave Gagner, removed two of the biggest leaders the team knew,
and most likely prompted the loss in confidence by the team. And,
as it became painfully evident during the playoffs and playing
for the New York Rangers, Churla demonstrated he could still play
smart and score, too! There's nothing like rubbing salt in the
wound. 

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Stars will be looking to improve
in many areas. One area, although ambiguous, may be for fans and
media alike to really give the players a hard time next year, to
put them under the spotlight as is done in the East and Canada.
Incredibly, both coach Ken Hitchcock, and MVP Brent Gilchrist
mentioned that as a possible factor in the players' lack of
motivation during 1995-1996.  

Gilchrist commented, "This is not the most intense hockey
environment in the NHL, we have had very few articles we could
say were critical of this team. Right now the fans don't seem to
be that upset with us. And they should be."  

Gilchrist should know, having spent some time in Montreal, where
the word pressure takes on a more true meaning.

Coach Hitchcock added, "We have to have a serious change in
attitude next year, and that's made difficult here because of the
lack of a magnifying glass. We get treated very gently by the
media here."  

Do you hear what they are saying, Dallas Stars fans? Give these
guys some grief next season! Give them some motivation!

Evidently Hitchcock hasn't read any of this reporter's columns.
This will change in 1996-1997. Call it a personal crusade if 
you will, but this column will be read by more Stars players next
year, and they WILL read criticism for their mistakes. This
reporter will see to it that the players get ripped well, when it
is appropriate. That's a bet. Hitchcock would be well advised to
also begin cracking down on the guys a bit, making it much more
uncomfortable for them to continue losing.  OK, enough preaching.
In the words of Dennis Miller after his soap box stands "Aw, ****
it, who wants some pie?"

Another area where change is needed is goaltending. The Stars
have already taken care of this to a certain degree by not 
deciding to renew the contract of Darcy Wakaluk. Wakaluk was not
able to produce any consistency last year, and he will not be the 
team's co-netminder next year.  Another area of change was
signing veteran Andy Moog, but the coaching staff came out right
away with the fact that Moog will in no way be the go-to
netminder for the entire season. Dallas has yet to sign anyone to
be the main man between the pipes. The European rookie prospect,
Roman Turek from Nurmberg, Germany has a 2.10 GAA in the
playoffs, and is being groomed as a franchise player. But, the
front office has made it clear he will not be played early, until
after he has some conditioning and experience. So, who will the
Stars put in the net as the starter?  Maybe we can pick up
someone the likes of Ed Belfour, who is available. But, for now,
the question remains unanswered. 

One of the biggest areas of change will have to be puck control.
The team as a whole was guilty of incredibly poor passing 
throughout the year. This was mostly responsible for the 13+
short-handed giveaway goals surrendered by the Stars. Also,
Dallas will be looking to increase their overall speed,
especially at center ice, where explosive quickness is needed to
carry the puck into the offensive zone. None of the 1995-1996
Stars could really be regarded as speedsters, and this needs to
change. Now that Dallas is slowly transforming from a slower,
defensive, grinding-type team to more of a conventional offensive
system, the team will need to acquire players that will fit
better into the new system. And, they need to FORECHECK!  Also,
LESS DUMP AND CHASE, please!

Along with the speed, the Stars will need to regain some of the
muscle. After trading away Shane Churla, the team's defender,
many teams began roughing Dallas up. Bill Huard has done a great
job at filling in those shoes, but the guy still needs help. The
Stars need more muscle to force some respect out of the
opposition next year.

The defensive unit will be retooled. Derian Hatcher did not shine
this year as well as in past seasons, and he needs to step up
next year and really get the blueliners going again. There needs
to be more checking in the defensive zone. There need to be more 
defenders in the crease making life _very_ miserable for all who
venture in for a chance to pop one in. Craig Ludwig did this
well, and Mike Lalor did help. They will need to continue this
next year.  Newcomer Richard Matvichuck developed into a strong
two-way defenseman who could move up with the forwards and create
some good scoring opportunities.  He will most likely become a
core member of the defense, if he can stay healthy long enough.
Matvichuck received a few concussions, one severe enough to keep
him out over a week. This is the worst type of injury. Hopefully,
this won't ruin Mattie's career like it has done for Brett
Lindros and others.  The Stars need Matvichuck to help fill in
the gap made by the recent trade of Kevin Hatcher to Pittsburgh
for Sergei Zubov. Zubov may not be able to help out as quickly as
the Stars will need. 

Overall, there are many reasons to believe 1996-1997 will be a
much better season for the Dallas Stars. They have always had a
great mix of the average players, and still need a few big names
to help Modano pull off some real production. Another thing 
which may help out is a change in captaincy. The players need a
new leader. Who will wear the C? Maybe Modano, Carbonneau, or 
Nieuwendyk. In any case, it should not be Derian Hatcher once
again. But, if the players can learn to form a strong team, and
stick by each other, coach Hitchcock should be able to help lead
the guys to a much more successful season. They may even be one
of the post-season surprises that pops up in next year's playoff
race. 

Well, that's the news, and I am outta here...


---------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT RED WINGS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 62-13-7; 131 points.
Finished: 1st in Central, 1st overall, lost in Western Conference
Finals to Colorado Avalanche 4-2.

Goals Scored: 325 (3rd) 
Goals Allowed: 181 (1st) 
Power Play: 21.3% (3rd) 
Penalty Killing: 88.3% (1st) 

SEASON RECAP by Brian Wishnow

     The Detroit Red Wings had another remarkable regular season 
record.  Unfortunately, however, when it came to the postseason,
Detroit once again failed to bring home the Stanley Cup.  In no
uncertain terms, the season was a failure. 
     As a consolation, however, the Red Wings had a really fine
regular season.  Highlights included: 

 - A league record 62 victories including two nine-game winning
streaks, which tied a 41-year-old mark. 
 - Goaltender Chris Osgood's 21-game (19-0-2) unbeaten streak.

 - Steve Yzerman's 500th career goal and Paul Coffey's 1000th
career assist. 
 - The five-minute standing ovation Steve Yzerman recieved on
opening night.  The crowd's support took Yzerman off the trading
block. 
 - Victories over every team in the league. 
 - Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon won the William Jennings Trophy
for the league's lowest goals-against average as a team. 
 - Coach Scotty Bowman earned the Jack Adams Trophy as Coach of
the Year. 
 - Sergei Fedorov beat out Ron Francis and fellow Red Wing Steve
Yzerman to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top
defensive forward. 

     The goaltending was excellent for Detroit all year.  Chris
Osgood and Mike Vernon provided a great tandem which backstopped
Detroit to its record 62 wins.  Osgood's emergence as the #1
goalie solidified his playing time in the postseason. 
     The goaltending situation next year is a bit clogged as of
press time.  Kevin Hodson showed he has the ability to play at
the NHL level.  It seems likely that either Hodson or Vernon will
be traded before next season begins.  Chances are, Vernon, and
his $2-million contract will move on to a better place. 
     Defensively, the Red Wings were tops in the NHL during the
regular season.  Unfortunately, older defensemen such as Paul
Coffey, Bob Rouse, Mike Ramsey, and Slava Fetisov were all worn
out come playoff time.  Perhaps playing a limited schedule, ala
Dino Ciccarelli, would have made the defense core more effective
during the postseason. 
     On the postive side, the trio of Vladimir Konstantinov, Paul 
Coffey, and Nicklas Lidstrom finshed 4-5-6 in the Norris Trophy
voting. 
     Unfortunately, Vladimir Konstantinov injured his left
achilles tendon June 14 while playing tennis with teammate Sergei
Fedorov.  After undergoing a surgical procedure, he is expected
to be ready to play come training camp. 
     New defensive prospects for next season include Anders
Eriksson and Jamie Pushor. 
     Offensively the Red Wings finished third in the League, well
behind Pittsburgh and only one goal shy of the Colorado
Avalanche.  Sadly, the same thing happened in the postseason;
Colorado edged Detroit out. 
     The Russian Five of Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Igor Larianov,
Slava Fetisov, and Konstantinov highlighted the offensive scoring
on a team with no one player compiling league-leading statistics.

TEAM MVP: Vladimir Konstantinov.  The Vladiator was a rock
on the blue line and stepped up his offensive game as well.  His
clean, shoulder-to-shoulder hits kept opponents off-guard and
provided huge boosts to the team.

SURPRISES:  The significant improvement of the team 
following the aquisition of Igor Larionov from the San Jose
Sharks.  His arrival allowed Scotty Bowman to create an
All-Russian unit.  The Russian Five often dominated play with
their needle-threading passes which left opponents clueless.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Failure to win the Stanley Cup (enough
said).  And how about the Most Ironic Event of the year:  The
11-1 whitewashing of Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens.  The
embarrassment catapaulted Roy to the Colorado Avalanche, and he
stopped the Red Wings cold in the playoffs.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  One goaltender, either Hodson or
Vernon will likely be eliminated.  Recent rumors have Greg
Johnson heading out of town.  Others possibly on the trading
block are Sergei Fedorov, Keith Primeau, Paul Coffey, and Dino
Ciccarelli.  Coach Scotty Bowman is likely to sign a three-year
contract to remain with the Wings.  He will be coaching through
at least next season.




---------------------------------------------------------------
EDMONTON OILERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 30-44-8; 68 points.
Finished: 5th in Pacific, 21st overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 240 (17th) 
Goals Allowed: 304 (24th) 
Power Play: 15.9% (21st) 
Penalty Killing: 80.8% (18th) 

SEASON RECAP by Simon D. Lewis

     We witnessed an "interesting" (remember that old Chinese
curse) season here in  he Great White North.  GM Glenn Sather and
Coach Ron Low put together a team that looked a little shaky, but
also appeared as though it could make the playoffs... just.  
     The team played well at times.  On other nights they stank
the joint out.  They were in touch with eighth place and a date
with the Red Wings until the last few weeks of the campaign.  A
superb road trip from coast to coast near the end of the season
almost boosted the blue and orange into the playoff race but a
defeat in Toronto essentially sealed their fate.  In the end, the
golf clubs were out in April. 

     Throughout the year it was like pulling teeth to fill the
Coliseum with paying customers.  Three years of futility, a
gnawing public distrust of owner Peter Pocklington, frequent
player changes, and the on again off again play of the young
Oilers soured the public on the team.  Match that with a sluggish
local economy and you had a killer recipe for small gates. 
     They did draw well over the Christmas holidays during "Old
Captains Week."  In the space of seven days, MacTavish and the
Flyers, Gretzky and the Kings, and Lowe and Messier and the
Rangers all visited Edmonton.  The crowds came out to see their
old heroes.  The Oilers played well.  You could actually catch a
whiff of the old spirit of the 80s. 
     The biggest trade of the year saw the departure of all-star
goalie Bill Ranford to Boston for Mariusz Czerkawski and some
throw-ins.  Newly-signed Curtis Joseph stepped in between the
pipes and quickly made everyone forget that other guy.  The other
significant deal saw defenders Jeff Norton and Donald Dufresne
arrive from St. Louis for Igor Kravchuk and Ken Sutton, a
definite improvement. 
     At about mid-season, the NHL's plan for small market (read
Canadian) subsidies became a large focus of hockey in Edmonton. 
The goals: sell 13,000 season tickets, all the board advertising,
and the luxury boxes by the end of May.  Well, they made it.  A
last minute, block purchase by a large company put the club over
the top.  The immediate future looks relatively secure. 

TEAM MVP:  There's no question that this one goes to Doug
Weight.  This guy has it all.  He scores, he makes delicate and
deft plays, and he shows up every night.  First Oiler to top 100
points since Messier.  To top it off, he's one of the most
pleasant people you'll ever meet.  A class act.  Sather
must resign him.

SURPRISES:  This is a tough one.  There were no enormous
surprises last season in Edmonton.  Here are a few small ones:

Jason Arnott's comment about, "not really being into it tonight,"
after an early season loss.  Sure, the guy had some off-ice
distractions (unplanned fatherhood) but it's hard to feature a
guy making all that money to play a game and then "not be into
it." It's called being a pro.

The failure of the Oilers to trade Louie Debrusk.  He came to the
game as an enforcer but lacked the will to rumble.  He was hardly
in the lineup and rarely on the ice.  Maybe no one wants him.

Bill Ranford's disaffection with the blue and orange.  He won a
cup here, was the highest paid player on the team, and well-liked
in the community.  So...?

Edmontonians lack of interest in pro hockey.  It doesn't matter
if your NHL team is in the toilet; they're playing in the best
league in hockey.  Considering how many locals have pucks
tattooed on their butts it's a big surprise how difficult it has
been to generate crowds.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  This has to be the mercurial nature of
the Oilers' team chemistry.  One night they would come out of the
dressing room with a "take no prisoners" attitude.  The next it
looked like it was a major hassle to do up their skates.  Night-
after-night consistency is the key to professional hockey.  If
they can harness some of their late-season energy, they could be
a very dangerous team.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The nagging issues at the moment are
named Jason and Doug.  Arnott and Weight, respectively, are still
unsigned for 96/97.  Talk around town is that if the Oilers want
to retain their credibility with the paying public they have got
to ink these two to contracts, especially Weight.  Glenn
Sather's problem is that Weight has just come off a stellar
season.  If this guy played in a big eastern market, he would be
a household name.  He's going to need around $2 to 2.5 million a
year at the going rate.  Thank God for that subsidy!

The other cloud on the horizon is Zdeno Ciger.  Apparently his
wife is less than happy living in Canada.  This may result in his
opting to play in Europe this season.  His departure would leave
an 80-point hole in the lineup and remove Weight's partner from
the Oilers' number one line.

Bright lights include goalie Curtis Joseph and his newly-acquired
backup Bob Essensa.  Not a bad tandem, eh?  Jeff Norton, coming
off a late-season knee injury, looks to supply some offence from
the defence.  Marchant and McAmmond have potential to turn into
dangerous offenders.  Miroslav Satan, also a free agent, showed
late-season signs of some big league skills.  Last year's top
draft pick Steve Kelly had a great year in junior.  He'll be
looking for a spot this year.

Areas needing improvement:

Goals against: Only San Jose and the Islanders fished more pucks
out of their own net.

Team Toughness: Doug Weight took many unavenged poundings last
year because his teammates couldn't or wouldn't stick up for him. 
Arnott is willing but he has instructions to stay out of the
penalty box.  He's more valuable on the ice.  Look for Sather to
add some beef.

Focus: The Oilers need to find it and keep it.  A more settled
lineup should help with this problem.  Towards the end of last
season they were showing signs of turning into a team in more
than name.


---------------------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA PANTHERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 41-31-10; 92 points.
Finished: 3rd in Atlantic, 7th overall, lost in Stanley Cup
Finals to Colorado Avalanche 4-0.

Goals Scored: 254 (12th) 
Goals Allowed: 234 (6th) 
Power Play: 17.3% (16th) 
Penalty Killing: 83.0% (9th) 

SEASON RECAP by Eric A. Seiden

     How do you recap a season like this? Heart and Soul.  
     The Panthers spent their season building the Rat's Nest. The
arena so loud, other teams dreaded playing here. The fans took
pride in being compared to Chicago and other hallowed hockey
grounds. A torrent of rats rained down after every Panthers goal
in loving tribute from the fans to the players. These same rats
were a pox and plague on the other team. 
     And what of the team? From the debut of Rhett Warrener, who
was a fill-in that never left, to the acquisitions of Martin
Straka and Ray Sheppard with no cost to the team, new players
helped shape the squad. 
     There were goals to remember like Stu Barnes passing the
puck forward between two Canadiens, jumping over them, and
skating the puck in for a goal, or the most phenomenal burn where
Bill Lindsay skated face first past Ray Borque and swung his
stick across the ice as he fell, knocking the puck in to win the
game. 
     You remember plays like that, and there's so many to
remember. Sure there were bad times where the team slipped into a
downward spiral in the last third of the season. The Panthers
appearance in the playoffs was called in to question. But there
they were. 
     Three years old and in the playoffs. Of course, there was no
chance the Panthers would actually win having to beat Boston. We
won. There was no chance we'd beat Philadelphia and the Legion of
Doom. We did. And there was certainly no chance we'd beat
Pittsburgh with megastars Lemieux and Jagr. We did and we won the
conference finals and the Prince of Wales trophy. We went
to the Stanley Cup and we were only three. 
     Of course, after the Panthers failed to bring the Cup home,
everyone expected Miami fans to act in true Miami tradition. But
we rose to the occasion. We greeted our team with love and
warmth. Had they brought home that silver Cup, their greeting
would have been no warmer. 

TEAM MVP:  The team MVP is simple. You consider all the
talent the team has. Then you consider all the people who gave
everything they had for the team. You consider all the great
plays made by players in key moments. And then you pick John
Vanbiesbrouck. There's no other person on the team who comes
close. If it weren't for him, the Panthers wouldn't have passed
Philadelphia in the playoffs. There are many who would say if it
weren't for him, the team wouldn't have been in the playoffs.


SURPRISES:  The Florida Panthers were full of surprises.
The surprises started in the form of the team being on the verge
of sale to any number of cities, but it the end things turned out
okay. 

The rats, some would say, were also a surprise, but even that was
just Destiny.

The real surprise was the firing of Roger Nielsen and the hiring
of virtual unknown Doug MacLean as head coach. He was called
Brian Murray's whipping boy and nobody thought the team would do
well. The team was at the bottom of every poll, leading only
Ottawa and Tampa. But anyone could see the surprise on everyone's
faces when the Panthers spent a long portion of the season in
first place or vying for first place. And, imagine this same
unknown man leading a team all the way to the Stanley Cup
Finals. 

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The Panthers didn't suffer many
disappointments. Many would say the loss of the Stanley Cup was a
disappointment, but nobody in this town views it that way. Hell,
the team wasn't even supposed to be there. It's a difficult call
to make. Early in the season, Terry Carkner would be an easy
winner of the title, but he turned it around late in the season
and became a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Scott
Mellanby was great all season, but turned in to just another
player in the run for the Cup. But disappointment isn't the word.
Being shut out in the annual awards was disappointing, but it
often seems more of a popularity poll so it wasn't surprising.

So, to pick the biggest disappointment this year, I took an
unscientific survey. I asked ten people who follow the Panthers
what they thought the biggest disappointment in the Panthers
season was. Eight of them came up with the same answer: The
season's over. There you have it. 

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Sure, we have Ray Sheppard. That's a
great start. The Panthers will likely trade Geoff Smith and
Magnus Svensson, both of whom don't deserve to go. However, the
Panthers will trade them for youth, and don't look for them to
go for defense. Look for one more sharpshooter, and maybe an
offensive defenseman. The Panthers aren't hurting badly in any
area, but except for goaltending, no area is perfect and could
use some improvement. Look for a great deal of shuffling with the
minor league affiliates with some comings and goings.



---------------------------------------------------------------
HARTFORD WHALERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 34-39-9; 77 points.
Finished: 4th in Northeast, 19th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 237 (19th)
Goals Allowed: 259 (15th)
Power Play: 18.0% (13th)
Penalty Killing: 80.7% (19th)

SEASON RECAP by Steve Gallichio

     Whalers 95 crashed and burned.  No question about it. 
     What was easily the most anticipated rendition of the Whale
in nearly a decade turned into the most bitterly frustrating and
disappointing season perhaps in franchise history. 
     The anticipation was fed by the acquisition of All-Star
Brendan Shanahan last off-season to complement Geoff Sanderson on
offense, mixing with a veteran defense corp and standout goaler
Sean Burke to pace a fast, aggressive hockey club capable of
challenging most of the league. 
     But the execution left much to be desired. 
     The season started out looking promising, with a 4-0-1 leap
out of the gate.  But Shanahan had suffered ligament damage to
his wrist in the opening night victory over the Rangers, courtesy
of old friend Ulf Samuelsson; the injury would effectively
nullify the Whale's captain until nearly a third of the season
was complete. 
     Worse still, a chemical imbalance persisted in the locker
room; the speed and aggression expected out of the club was
instead replaced by passiveness and lethargy.  Coach Paul
Holmgren was the first to take the fall following a 1-6 run that
reversed the team's brilliant start.  28-year-old Paul Maurice,
the youngest coach in professional sports, took over the reigns.
Maurice's system eventually took hold and improved the team, but
in the transition period the Whale had dropped to 10 games below
.500 by Christmas, and were never able to recover. 
     Even though the team played better, eventually, under
Maurice, the heart and hustle were just never there.  Shanahan's
leadership was questioned by team management;  old friend Kevin
Dineen was brought back from Philadelphia to lead and hand in
that department.  That he did, until a broken wrist suffered
during the height of the Whale's resurgence in February
effectively hammered the last nail in the team's coffin. 
     If the season's on-ice results were a disappointment, the
off-ice situation was downright traumatic.  As far back as
October, the Whalers' ownership group was plotting a course to
sail out of Hartford at the end of the season.  The entire
organization no doubt suffered from the collective pall this cast
over the team, and by the end of the year, that pall had widened
to cover the entire state.  A month long season ticket drive
aimed at saving the franchise accomplished only enough, 8500
tickets, to guarantee two more years in town.  But the fans who
worked so hard to save the team are now facing the very real
prospect that there won't be much of a team left to cheer for
come October. 

TEAM MVP:  A toss-up.  No one on the team had a
particularly impressive season; certainly, no one had even
remotely a career year.  The choice would have to come down to
one of Burke, Dineen, Shanahan, Sanderson, or defenseman Jeff
Brown.  Shanny, for all his on- and off-ice adjustment pains this
season, still managed to net 44 goals in 74 games.  Sanderson had
a very off year with only 34 markers, but his overall game showed
considerable improvement this season.  Burke struggled early in
the season after the hot start, attributable to assorted physical
ailments which reduced his effectiveness; but from last fall to
the end of the season, he was nearly, but not quite, as good as
his past two superb seasons.  Dineen was an incredible spark plug
for the too-brief period between his acquisition and his injury. 
And Brown, acquired from Vancouver at the same time as the Dineen
deal, gave the Whale a blue-line threat that they had been
lacking, and played startling good defensive hockey, eating
minutes like a horse.

Dineen would probably get the nod as most valuable player in
games that he played, but 20 games isn't enough (although the
fact the someone who played only a quarter of the season merits
serious consideration here shows how disappointing the rest of
the team was).  The choice would have to come down to Burke and
Shanahan; the nod here goes to Burke, for being an omnipresent
backbone for the sometimes spineless Whale.

SURPRISES:  No one surprise stood out.  Sami Kapanen was a
breath of fresh air with his Energizer Bunny style of play after
suffering a potentially fatal head injury in training camp. 
Brown turned out to be a far better defenseman than people
expected.  Brad McCrimmon turned in a team-best plus/minus rating
at the ripe old age of 71.  Few expected Maurice, with just 13
games as an assistant at the NHL level to be handed the prime job
after Holmgren's dismissal.  And Dineen's return was a revelation
for fans who had forgotten exactly how much he meant to the
club's glory year(s).

In another close vote, the choice here goes to Maurice's
appointment.  It was a long-term move by team management, but
as long-term moves often are, a short-term hit.

DISAPPOINTMENTS: Unlike the positive side of the ledger,
the disappointments column could go on for pages.  Boiled down,
though, we'll have to go with the general lack of chemistry,
cohesiveness, heart, and hustle that the team, from captain
Shanahan down through the guys who shot T-shirts into the stands
between periods, displayed throughout the season.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  There could be many.  Following the
dissolution of lease negotiations with the state at the
conclusion of the season, team ownership pledged to cut costs
dramatically to stem the tide of losses in likely their final two
seasons in Hartford.  Already as of this writing, a team
vice-president, two coaches, and an important scout have filtered
out of the organization since season's end.  Winger Scott
Daniels, one of the few consistently aggressive players last
season, signed a big money deal with the Flyers that the Whale
were unwilling to match.  Shanahan and his $3.5-million salary
are available for the right package of picks, prospects, and
players, although he is just as likely to stay put as to move. 
Sanderson, a restricted free agent, could overwhelm the Whalers
with another team's offer sheet (the Blackhawks are rumoured to
be hotly interested).  Rookies Hnat Domenichelli, a Western
League hotshoe, Jason McBain, and Marek Malik could see
significant playing time next season.  With J.S. Giguere waiting
in the shadows, even Burke might not be beyond bounds.

As a team on the ice, the Whalers could use a more physical
defense, some size at wing, fourth liners with the ability to put
the puck into the net more often the Halley's Comet approaches,
and someone from amongst Jeff O'Neill, Andrei Nikolishin, or
perhaps Andy Cassels, to step up as a true #1 center.

But more importantly, this team has to stabilize the bleeding and
rise above its potentially lame-duck status to play hockey again,
rather than marking time until the moving vans circle Asylum
Street.  Or else it could get ugly.



---------------------------------------------------------------
LOS ANGELES KINGS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 24-40-18; 66 points.
Finished: 6th in Pacific, 23rd overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 256 (11th) 
Goals Allowed: 302 (23rd) 
Power Play: 18.0% (14th) 
Penalty Killing: 81.1% (16th) 

SEASON RECAP by Matt Moore

     The Kings were never expected to really challenge for much
more than the eighth playoff spot, and they almost met that
expectation.  They proved that they are a team in transition from
older, higher scorers to being a much younger, tighter checking
team. 
     The biggest news was the trading of Wayne Gretzky to the St.
Louis Blues following a protracted, distracting stand-off over a
new contract and the team's direction.  Gretzky wanted a few more
good older players to compliment him and make some sort of run at
the Stanley Cup, even though the Kings would have had to sell off
all of their sparse talent in order to get any good players. 
Luckily, the Kings made the unpopular choice and decided to trade
the man who made hockey a major sport in the southwest U.S.   
     This year also marked the debut of Larry Robinson as coach. 
It was probably quite a departure from being an assistant with
the Devils, who are a hard working defensive team, to having to
try and take charge of a lackadaisical team that would take
entire periods off. 
     All in all, it was a disappointing year, but not unexpected.

TEAM MVP:  Dimitri Khristich.  With a team that finished
with such a bad record and never really showed much during the
year, Dimitri Khristich was one of few bright spots.  Brought
over with Byron Dafoe from the Capitals in a preseason trade,
Khristich was the Kings leading scorer (27-37-64) and played
consistently both ways.  

SURPRISES:  Who would have thought at the start of the
season that the big stars at the end of the season would be
Vitali Yachmenev, Ray Ferraro, or Dimitri Khristich?  There had
been rumors that the Kings were going to start a youth movement,
but nobody really thought that Gretzky, Kurri, McSorley, or 
Tocchet would all be gone in the name of payroll cutting and
prospects. 
 
DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Rob Blake's continuing fight with the
injury bug has to be one of the most frustrating things in the
league today.  It doesn't really help that a player who has the
chance of being one of the better defensemen in the league can't
seem to be able to play into double figures in games.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Continued movement towards younger
players with a few veterans thrown in is the key to the Kings
future success.  This year's draft is important, even though the
Kings don't have a first-round draft pick, from the standpoint of
depth.  This past year the Kings did not have the depth in their
farm system that would allow them to compensate for the multiple
injuries that they sustained.  Their problem was not having the
first line players, but rather the second and third line players. 
They were forced to have people who are checking line quality
players play more offensive roles.  And the checking line many
times contained players, who, to be honest, should be in the
minors, not the NHL.  The defensive corps seems to be getting 
stronger all the time, with the Kings picking up large, solid
defensemen left and right.  If everything falls into place, the
Kings could be starting a defensive six or seven where the
smallest player would be 6'1", 180lbs.  Quite a departure from
the midgets who used to patrol the blue line.


---------------------------------------------------------------
MONTREAL CANADIENS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 40-32-10; 90 points. 
Finished: 3rd in Northeast, 9th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Quarterfinals to New York Rangers 4-2.

Goals Scored: 265 (10th) 
Goals Allowed: 248 (tied 11th) 
Power Play: 19.0% (8th) 
Penalty Killing: 82.2% (13th)

SEASON RECAP by Dan Piedra

     As the season opened back in October, fans awaited the team
with a renewed optimism, after all, things could only get better
after missing the playoffs the year before.  That phenomenon had
occurred for the first time in well over two decades.  And yet,
the season had barely passed the four-game mark when Montreal
President Ronald Corey, dropped the "mother of all bombs" by
firing not only Coach Jacques Demers, but among others, General
Manager Serge Savard.  That's what you get for starting the
season 0-4 while being outscored by a 20-4 margin.  Then again,
this is Montreal, where the fans and media hold a great deal of
power in such matters. 
     Enter the rookies: Mario Tremblay and Rejean Houle.  Still
wet behind the years in coaching and managerial duties, Mario and
Reggie now stood atop one of the most visible podiums in the
world of sports.  Looking back, it turned out to be, not only a
surprising move, but a sensible one.  No one in their right mind
saw this move coming up St. Catherines Street.  Mario Tremblay
would be just what the young Habs needed.  The two of them would
provide a shot of enthusiasm which seemed to have gone away from
le tricolore.  Mario Tremblay fit the bill perfectly as he
demonstrated in his first game behind the bench.  That Saturday
night in October, the Habs finally registered their first win on
a last second goal by Pierre Turgeon against the hated Toronto
Maple Leafs. 
     The Habs would ride that wave of emotion and confidence for
the next 18 games racking up a record of 12-5-1. During that
stretch Brian Savage emerged as a potential goal-scorer playing
alongside Pierre Turgeon and Mark Recchi.  Savage would score the
majority of his 25 goals in those first few months of the season
before drying up and fading away for the season.  In fact, since
December 12, Savage managed a mere six goals. 
     December signaled the end of the good times for the entire
team.  In fact, the month began with another bang.  On the night
of Saturday, December 2, 1995, Canadiens' fans around the
continent (those unfortunate enough to watch) were treated to a
truly horrific scene.  On that night, the Canadiens hosted the
Detroit Red Wings before a national audience on the CBC
Television Network.  The team simply failed to show up for this
event.  At least they did not show up in spirit, as the Wings
embarrassed the Canadiens by a score of 11-1. 
     Mario Tremblay left Patrick Roy in the net pulling him only
after the ninth goal had been scored.  After being booded by the
Forum crowd, Roy left the game and made his way to the bench. 
The rest is history.  During those long and tense moments Roy
approached Ronald Corey, sitting behind the Canadiens' bench and
pronounced to his dismay that he had played his final game as a
Montreal Canadien.  Several days later, after a great deal of
hoopla in Montreal, Roy's wish was granted.  He and Mike Keane
were shipped off to Colorado in exchange for Jocelyn Thibault,
Andrei Kovalenko, and Martin Rucinsky.  
     Surprisingly enough, the Habs managed to go 7-5-1 in their
remaining games in December.  As the calendar year ended, the
Canadiens certainly looked different than they had a few short
months ago.  From here on in it would be a much younger, less
experienced team that would wear the blue-blanc-et-rouge.  
     The Canadiens spent the rest of the season playing just
above the .500 mark.  But during these months of ups and downs,
several players turned a few heads.  
     Players such as Saku Koivu stood out for their speed,
creativity, and energy.  Koivu would register an above average
rookie season scoring 20 goals and racking up 25 assists.  He
played on the second power-play unit and killed penalties quite
effectively.   
     Valerie Bure was finally given the opportunity to show what
he was capable of doing.  Playing alongside Vincent Damphousse
and Martin Rucinsky, Bure registered 42 points (22 G, 20 A) while
compiling a plus/minus of +10. 
     But the biggest surprise of the season had to be the
development of several key rookie defencemen who were thrown into
the fire amid a breakout of injuries to Patrice Brisebois,
Vladimir Malakhov, and others.  Youngsters like David Wilkie,
Craig Rivet, and Rory Fitzpatrick proved that they could indeed
form part of the Canadiens' future defence corps.  Given their
lack of experience at the NHL level, these kids performed
tremendously and saw a great deal of action in a pressure-packed
first-round playoff against the New York Rangers.  
     The Canadiens also solidified their goaltending situation
when they acquired Jocelyn Thibault in the "Patrick Roy Trade". 
Houle's decision to pick up journeyman Pat Jablonski ended up
being one of his better decisions.  Jablonski may very well have
found a home in Montreal, a place where he was truly valued and
given the opportunity to play on a pretty consistent basis. 
He'll probably be the first to admit that he wont necessarily be
replacing TBO as the number one goalie in Montreal, but as back-
up goalies go, he's one of the league's best.  Given a generous
raise, he should be back while the youngster Jose Theodore
develops in Fredericton. 
     Montreal finished with 40 wins and 90 points, 9th overall,
not bad for a team that went through a ton of upheaval.  And yet,
when all was said and done, the Canadiens were eliminated from
the first round of the playoffs due to their lack of experience. 
After wining the first two game in New York, the Habs returned
home where they wilted under the pressure of such a series. 
Certainly, many lessons were learned by the rookie management,
coaching staff, and players. Such experience which should prove
vital in the upcoming seasons. 
     One thing is for sure, the Habs are now ready to approach
next season with a talented buch of youngsters.  Given the right
additions, a veteran defenceman here, a scoring forward there,
the Canadiens should be strong contenders for the Cup.  This is
what most will expect them to do.  A Cup will not necessarily be
demanded by the Montreal masses, but they will certainly have to
improve their current on-ice product and proceed further than the
first ropund of next season's playoffs.  
     The funny thing is that the mood around Montreal and
throughout its fans is a positve one.  Habs fans have all of a
sudden become very patient, or at least patient for a few months. 
They realize that the season provided many bright lights.  Most
of them are looking forward to the wheeling and dealing which
will certainly happen throughout the league.  All of them, can't
wait for next season. 

TEAM MVP:  Vincent Damphousse.  On many instances this
year, the Habs went as Vinny went.  He provided stability and
firepower to one of the league's best second lines.  This guy has
put up with a lot of pessimists who figured that after last
year's performance he was through.  He played hard and was
rewarded for his results.  
 
SURPRISES:  Martin Rucinsky.  The infamous Roy trade to
Colorado brought much attention with it, but most seemed directed
at Jocelyn Thibault who was expected to replace Roy's heroic
nature.  Yet the trade payed off in many other ways, including
the tremendous efforts of Rucinsky, who when teamed-up with Bure
and Damphousse, exploded for 29 goals and 46 assists.  His
absence was certainly felt through the first round of the
playoffs.  

Peter Popovic also deserves credit for being the Canadiens' best
defenseman.  Nobody had to go through more opposition and
challenges in earning a spot on the team, but when given the
chance he turned out to be a solid defenceman.  In a year where
the Habs have been simply devastated on the blue line, he was as
pleasant a surprise as any.  If he can develop his physical
toughness a little more, this guy will be a definite keeper.  

Honorable mention goes to the Habs rookie defencemen who for all
their lack of experience played admirably through many injuries
and suspensions to key defensive personnel.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Brian Savage.  As much as I like this
guy, and admired his play on the Canadian National Team, he died
faster than you can sing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over". 
Perhaps much of his early success came about as a result of his
playing with Turgeon and Recchi, or perhaps we expected too much
from him.  Regardless, by the end of the year his goals and
assists production were minimal no matter whom he played with. 

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The summer will be pivotal to the
Canadiens' 1996/97 season.  Houle will be under a great deal of
pressure to hit the free-agency market hard in hopes of landing a
quality defenceman and perhaps some offensive punch for a third
line centered by Saku Koivu.  Back in March, he was applauded by
many for not making any hasty trades, or as some would put it,
selling the future for a quick high.  But next season will carry
greater expectations.  The future of individuals like Savage,
Brunet, Kovalenko, Malakhov, and Brashear will have to be
seriously considered.  The Montreal rumour mill has learned that
Malakhov has been quite vocal about leaving Montreal.  Savage and
Kovalenko both pulled their best "Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde"
impersonations at different times of the year.  Chances are that
several of these boys will have played their final game for the
Canadiens. 


---------------------------------------------------------------
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 37-33-12; 86 points. 
Finished: 6th in the Atlantic, 12th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 215 (25th) 
Goals Allowed: 202 (2nd) 
Power Play: 14.9% (24th) 
Penalty Killing: 84.6% (4th)

SEASON RECAP by Dan Hurwitz

     In looking back on the 1995-96 season, the campaign for the
then-defending Stanley Cup Champs can be summed up in two words: 
dis-appointing. 
     There are simply no positives in an overall analysis of a
Cup-winning season being followed up by a non-playoff year.  The
dubious distinction of finishing with the second best non-
playoff record ever and of knowing that, had they had the same
numbers in the West, they'd have opened the playoffs with home-
ice advantage does not erase the sting of knowing that Tampa Bay
made the playoffs and New Jersey didn't. 
     Things looked promising early on.  Having won their last six
playoff games the previous Spring, every preseason contest and
the first four regular season games, it looked as though a repeat
was not only possible, it was expected.  The fact that Martin
Brodeur started the season so well having been a training camp
holdout spoke volumes of his status as an athlete. 
     Of course, there were problems, but they seemed as though
they may have been addressed.  Assistant coach and defensive guru
Larry Robinson had departed for the glitz of coaching the L.A.
Kings as their bench boss.  But when one of the all-time great
players' players, Chris "Knuckles" Nilan, arrived to take his
place, it seemed Jacques Lemaire would have no problems.  Then
there was Pepe... 
     Claude Lemieux was the Conn Smythe Trophy-winner in 1995,
and deservedly so.  So when a contract-arguing stunt caught the
ire of president and general manager Lou Lamoriello in the late
summer, Lemieux was shipped to Colorado as part of a three-way
deal which brought in Steve Thomas.  Determining the effects of
this trade is difficult, however, even though Lemieux's new team,
the Avalanche, went on to win the Cup while the Devils missed the
playoffs.  For starters, Lemieux has a history of somewhat
disappointing regular seasons followed by explosive postseasons. 
This was true last year when things got so rough, he was even
granted a leave of absence to collect himself.  Since the Devils
failed to make the playoffs altogther, it is difficult to argue
it was the loss of Lemieux that did them in.  Also, Thomas ended
up scoring more points in a Devils uniform than anyone else did
this year.  On a team starved for offense, that's an important
distinction. 
     The effect of the Lemieux trade, however, was perhaps a more
insidious one.  Along with veteran defenseman Bruce Driver, who
defected to the rival Rangers to avoid relocating his family, and
utility forward Tom Chorske who sent to Ottawa, Lemieux's absence
may have, and probably did upset team chemistry tremendously.  As
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman asserted when he presented the
Devils with the Cup exactly one year before the targetted release
date of this issue, "The Devils' amazing playoff run has taken
the term 'teamwork' to a new level."  This year, there were
reports of infighting, particularly with the coach they all so
admired.  Tough Mike Peluso, a cult favorite in New Jersey,
simply could not get out of Lemaire's doghouse and was sent home
during a road trip at one point so as to diffuse any tensions. 
Defensemen were confused, perhaps because Robinson was no longer
there to act as a go-between, and forwards felt needlessly
constrained by defensive responsibilities.  There certainly is a
valid argument that the calming force of Driver and the battle
cry of Lemieux could have made a huge difference in this sense.

     After the all-star break, however, things looked up, and the
Devils even managed to put together a franchise-high nine-game
unbeaten streak.  The defense, a forte for New Jersey all year
long, remained strong and the offense briefly showed some signs
of life.  But then, towards the end, it sputtered, and Lamoriello
was forced to make a move which ultimately backfired.  Risking
the Devils' defensively-conscious trapping system, Lamoriello
traded steady defenseman Tommy Albelin, rugged prospect Cale
Hulse and feisty Jocelyn Lemieux, Claude's brother, to Calgary
for Phil Housley and Dan Keczmer in the final quarter of the
season.  The thought was that Housley's considerable offensive
skills would spice up a dead power play and increase the offense. 
Unfortunately, even after the stealing of Dave Andreychuk from
the Toronto Maple Leafs near the trade deadline, the man-
advantage was sluggish and never managed to click.  Housley's
strength is passing, but the Devils' power play is based on
rebounds from point shots.  Furthermore, unlike Albelin, Housley
often proved to be, as he had been labelled throughout his
career, a defensive liability.  In fact, he sometimes looked like
a deer in headlights when he was back one-on-one with an
opponent.  To top that off, his presense clearly hurt Scott
Niedermayer's quest for an identity, since the younger defenseman
became confused as to whether he should be concentrating on
offense or defense. 
     There were occasional hopes, certainly.  When Thomas was
combined with Bill Guerin and rookie Petr Sykora to form the
"Hell's Angels" line in December, the Devils had a "top line" for
the first time since the John MacLean-Patrik Sundstrom-Brendan
Shanahan days.  Unfortunately, after all three players got into
the 20-goal range, their output sputtered to a hault. 
     If there was any one bright spot for the future, it was the
strength of the defense.  Amazingly, only President's
Trophy-winner Detroit finished off with fewer goals against than
New Jersey.  Even in a year which saw Mario Lemieux's return and
an injury-free Eric Lindros, the Devils were a rock defensively. 
Unfortunately, most nights a shutout was necessary to hope for a
win. 
     Looking ahead (as we will below), the fact that the AHL
Albany River Rats followed their Calder Cup championship with a
run-away regular season title means the Devils' organization has
a chance to rebound.  But if they will, it will mean putting the
puck in the net.

TEAM MVP:  There is no question at all that the Devils
would not have even been in playoff contention at the end of the
season had it not been for the stellar goaltending of Martin
Brodeur.  When Chris Terreri was traded and Corey Schwab proved
to be a bust, Martin was THE man for the Devils.  Lost in the
story of Grant Fuhr's record-breaking season was the fact that
Brodeur appeared in more games this season than any goaltender
had in previous years.  His six shutouts were a Devils record and
he was within the top five in Save % and GAA all year long. 
Towards the end, there was a hint of minor burnout, however, but
that certainly was not Brodeur's fault.  With any luck,
highly-touted prospect Mike Dunham will be ready to make the jump
to being Marty's backup next season.  Still, even though he was
voted to start the NHL all-star game in January and did not let
up a goal in the defense-free classic, Brodeur can only look upon
this season as a letdown since his teammates could not score for
him.

SURPRISES:  Chosen with the eighteenth pick overall, Petr
Sykora appeared a longshot to even make the team this season,
particularly with the defending champs.  Those in the know,
however, realize that Sykora's availability was a fluke, due
mostly to an injury he suffered the previous season while playing
with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, and that he had at one point
been rated as high as first in the draft rankings.  Be that as it
may, he quickly earned a promotion to the big club, in spite of
his small size, and turned in the third best rookie performance
of the season offensively, even though he didn't start the season
in the NHL.  Never having played such a long schedule, he looked
a little tired towards the end and was frequently scratched from
the lineup.  But the slick center, who was named to the
all-rookie team, (the fifth Devil to receive that honor in the
past six years), quite likely has a lock on his spot for next
year.  

Other than Sykora, the even smaller farmhand, Steve Sullivan,
dazzled at times when inserted into the lineup and even collected
a few goals, but is unlikely to make a lasting impact because of
his small size and lack of defensive skill.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Barry Melrose thought the Devils would
repeat, as did a bunch of people with shorter hair.  As such, the
disappointments are many.  Certainly the Housley bust was one,
and the end of the Lemaire honeymoon was another.  Valeri
Zelepukin's inability to recover fully from an eye-injury was yet
another.  But if you really want to point your finger at the one
place it most belongs, that would be in the direction of Stephane
Richer. 

A former 50-goal scorer, Richer was clearly the designated go-to
guy for the Devils.  Barely cracking the 20-goal mark, and
finishing with a career-low eight assists, Richer's performance
was astonishingly poor.  In his defense, he was an excellent
penalty killer and spent most of his time on the checking line. 
Also, for some unknown reason, his cannon was not part of the
power play.  In any case, when a team fails to make the playoffs
because they can't score goals, the guy who couldn't buy one is
the likely fall-guy.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  It's likely that no attempt will be
made to re-sign Housley, who is an unrestricted free agent.  He
simply will command too much on the open market, was a defensive
liability, and likely had prior plans for his last days of
freedom.

There have been rumors that Peluso and Richer also have their
days numbered, but that remains to be seen.  Certainly with Randy
McKay and Jason Smith ready to drop them, and Dennis Pedersen
ready to play on the Crash Line, Peluso is expendable.  As for 
Richer, he is still Lemaire's pet project, and likely will have a
bit of a chance to prove himself next season.

One change which has already been made is the promotion of Robbie
Ftorek from head coach of the River Rats to assistant coach of
the Devils.  One of the hottest coaching candidates in the off-
season, Ftorek's presence on the bench has several implication
s.  First of all, with the River Rats being one of the deepest
organizations in minor league hockey, a youth movement may be on
the rise.  Brian Rolston, Scott Niedermayer, Petr Sykora, Jason
Smith, Mike Dunham, Bill Guerin, Marin Brodeur and Denis Pedersen
are poised and ready to take their places with this squad. 

What this also means is a very short noose around Lemaire's neck. 
It is a well-known fact in hockey, and the Devils are no
different, that coach's have limited lifespans.  Even though
Lemaire's three-year Devils stint has included an Adams award as
coach of the year and a Stanley Cup, the doctrine of "what have
you done for me lately" was activated the day the Devils were
eliminated by losing to the Ottawa Senators, of all teams. 
Lemaire won't be fired outright, but the amount of patience he'll
be afforded will be minimal.

Devils fans will hope that the mythical "trade for a big-name 
offensive star" will be this summer.  Perhaps the mandatory
shakeup of the Red Wings may help.  Or Jeremy Roenick's free
agent status.  More likely, the Devils lineup in the fall will
look a lot like the one now, but after a serious pep talk.



---------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 22-50-10; 54 points.
Finished: 7th in the Atlantic, 24th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 229 (22nd) 
Goals Allowed: 315 (25th) 
Power Play: 18.8% (10th) 
Penalty Killing: 78.3% (24th) 

SEASON RECAP by David Strauss

     The 1995-96 season, like the year before, was a season to
forget, rather than a season to remember.  The Islanders won only
22 games, far less than Isles fans hoped for under new coach Mike
Milbury.  But the team may finally have reversed its downward
slide and be on the way back to contention.  Whether this is
actually true or just the blind hopes of long suffering
Isles fans remains to be seen. 
     As the season opened, the Isles had many questions, but
there were three important ones.  Unfortunately, those three were
offense, defense and goaltending.  Even using the Fox puck, the
team that scores the most goals usually wins (funny that way,
isn't it?).   
     Up front, after the loss of Ray Ferraro to the Hated
Rangers, the question was who would score any goals.  Would
Wendel Clark, newly arrived for Steve Thomas, bring his rumored
leadership and grit?  Would Travis Green truly emerge as a number
one center when finally given the chance?  Would enigma Zigmund
Palffy score in bunches or actually get a haircut?  Would
long-time Isles like Marty McInnis, Patrick Flatley, Brad
Dalgarno, and Derek King provide enough offense?  And finally,
would so-called leader Kirk Muller recognize he was listed in the
Isles yearbook as LW, not GM?  
     On defense, the team wondered if Scott Lachance and Darius
Kasparaitis would regain their form of 1993, and if Kaspar would
avoid driving into any more telephone poles in the Nassau
Coliseum parking lot.  Would Matthieu Schneider display all-star
form now that he was back in his home area, and would he start
spelling his name "Matthew" now?  And finally, would Rich
Pilon ever play more than 26 minutes in a given season, due to
injuries? 
     Back in net, one wondered if the two Swedish Tommys
(Soderstrom and Salo) were better described as a solid
goaltending duo or the followup to that Swedish supergroup Abba. 
Want a hint as to that conclusion?  You won't have any trouble
finding a copy of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in the Isles
locker room. 
     Sadly, most of the answers to these early questions were not
what Isles fans wanted to here.  Tuning in to a certain game show
around midseason would have revealed this exchange:

"Alex, I'll take disasters for $500." 
"This situation has become an embarrassment for not only the team
involved but its fans as well." 
"What is the Kirk Muller situation OR the Fishsticks logo?" 
"Both answers are correct.  You're still our returning champion!"

     Want to know the lowlights for the 1995-96 season?  Just ask
any Isles fan about the above-mentioned Craptain Kirk.  Muller,
who has now whined his way out of two separate franchises in the
greatest metropolitan area on Earth, managed to destroy ten
years' worth of good reputation by deciding that the Isles just
weren't good enough for him.  (Be sure to read chapter 11 of
Kirk's best-selling novel, "How To Win Friends and Get Your
Teammates to Hate You.")  The fact that trading Muller was the
key to obtaining the NHL's number one future superstar is almost
enough to make Muller's stay in Uniondale palatable. 
     And no more need be said about the hideous Fishsticks logo.  
Just watch this season as the Islanders become the first team in
NHL history to have their official jersey outsold by a "third"
jersey. 
     Other lowlights for the season included the Isles'
designation as Team Concussion.  No less than EIGHT players
missed significant time due to head injuries, led by Dennis
Vaske, who missed close to 70 games after a concussion caused by
Eric "Headhunter" Lacroix, and Brett Lindros, who was finally
forced to retire at the ripe old age of 20 due to a series of
concussions. 
     The Isles goaltending situation was a mess for two-thirds of
the season, led by the charitable inclinations of Tommy "One Bad
Goal a Night" Soderstrom and Tommy "This Ain't the IHL" Salo.  
Salo, who somehow managed to win a second straight Turner Cup for
the IHL's Utah Grizzlies, has thus far been totally unable to
translate his minor league success into NHL quality.   
     Finally, the season saw the end of Don Maloney as Isles' GM,
a shaky tenure with more misses than hits. 
     Don't think there weren't any highlights, despite the horrid
season.  One highlight would have to be the play of Zigmund
Palffy, who came into his own as an NHL scorer, topping 40 goals
for the first time ever.  Palffy joined Mario Lemieux as the only
player in the NHL to get back-to-back hat tricks in 1995-96. 
Just think what he might do with a real number one center. 
     Not that Travis Green was a flop, far from it.  His play
picked up a notch, averaging a point per game for the first time
in his career, and he was the most consistent Isle all season.  
He just may not have that extra step to place him among the
league's elite centers. 
     Playing on the wing with Palffy and Green was a revolving
series of players, most frequently the newest Isle, Wendel Clark. 
Clark's play was another highlight, although not a consistent one
from night to night.  He brought grit and effort to the ice,
unlike you-know-who, and expressed some true leadership without
complaint.  Unlike Muller, Isles fans were sad to see him
leave when traded to Toronto. 
     Also playing on the first line was rookie Todd Bertuzzi, who
appears to have a bright future.  Bertuzzi displayed some good
hockey sense, and keen skills, although he was a bit spurty. 
Mike Milbury wanted Bertuzzi to be more physical, and he appeared
to take that to heart after returning from a late-season
suspension. 
     Other bright spots for the season included the brief
snippets of solid offensive play from rookies Alex Vasiliev, Dan
Plante and Niclas Andersson. 
     Probably the brightest hope for the future was the play of
goalie Eric Fichaud.  After being called up late in the season,
Fichaud played solidly, and gave the Isles quality goaltending
for the first time in three years.  He's likely to be in net for
the next dozen or so opening nights. 
     Finally, the greatest highlight for the Isles this season
would have to be the emergence of a cogent, intelligent plan for
rebuilding the franchise by Mike Milbury.  By getting rid of the
dead wood and stockpiling young prospects and draft picks,
Milbury has the Isles back on the road to the top, even though it
may take a few years.


TEAM MVP:  Without a doubt, would have to be Palffy.  Was
often the only offensive player that created any scoring
opportunities, and carried the team on many nights with his
offensive ability.  Now, if only he'd stop comparing himself to
Peter Forsberg in contract talks.

SURPRISES:  Bryan McCabe became the first Isles rookie to
play every game since Ken Morrow, and that's not a bad pedigree
to claim.  He was solid on defense all season long, and picked up
the offensive play after Matthieu Schneider was traded.  McCabe
actually wore the "A" one night, and emerged as the team's best
defenseman down the stretch.  

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The veteran players who the Isles
counted on for scoring couldn't fill the net.  Guys like Flatley,
Dalgarno, Semak, Straka, King, and Sweeney fizzled all season
long.  While Flatley and King offered solid defensive play, they
couldn't get the team the big goal they needed all season long.  

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: The cleaning out of the dead wood has
begun.  It's likely that many players will not be back.  Others
such as Flatley, King and Vukota may return, but with
substantially reduced playing time.  Don't look for the Isles to
be big players in the free-agent market.  Though they may
try and sign some veteran help, they're likely to continue to
build through the farm system.  Signing number one prospect Bryan
Berard is a top concern, and may have already been completed by
the time you read this.  Some deals for a veteran backup goalie
may be possible: it's been rumored that Glenn Healy may be coming
back to Uniondale.  

This upcoming season may be another tough one for the Isles, but
the nucleus will be built around the kids.  Several of the
defensive and offensive prospects will get a chance in the
preseason to make the team.  It looks like a bright future for
the Isles, even if the present looks a little gloomy.


---------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK RANGERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 41-27-14; 96 points.
Finished: 2nd in Atlantic, 5th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Semifinals to Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1.

Goals Scored: 272 (9th) 
Goals Allowed: 237 (7th) 
Power Play: 19.8% (5th) 
Penalty Killing: 82.0% (14th)

SEASON RECAP by Alex Frias

     The 1995-96 season has passed us by.  It seems like
yesterday that the regular season was about to begin.  A lot has
happened in between.  
     The first incident that gave you an idea of what was to come
was the Tie Domi fiasco.  In case you forgot, Domi sucker-punched
Ranger defenseman Ulf Samuelsson during the Oct. 14 game against
Toronto.  Domi earned an eight-game suspension and national
recognition as the next Tonya Harding. 
     Next came, what had to be the highlight of the season, when
Messier hit the 500-goal plateau.  Typically, Messier hit 500 in
style.  He did it with a hat trick; in a 4-2 comeback win against
his former nemesis the Calgary Flames; with his parents, his
grandparents, his sister and some friends in the building; and
with his former coach-GM, Glen Sather in attendance.  What a
night for Mark Messier (hey, that's Sam Rosen's line in that Bud
Ice commerical w/Mario Lemieux). 
     Following that came the busiest month in team history, as
they played a whopping 17 games in the month of December, going
11-3-3 in that span. Mark Messier showed us that like fine wine,
he only gets better with time.  Messier was on pace to break his
best offensive year which came in '89-90 when he was still in
Edmonton.  That year he racked up 45 goals and 84 assists for 129
points.  Pat Verbeek, with 27 goals, was also having a career
year.  Goaltender Mike Richter shined brightly as he led the
league in wins with 19.  However, something had to give, and it
happened to be Richter's groin.  With 1:25 to go in an 8-3
victory over the Edmonton Oilers Dec. 30, Richter kicked out his
left leg on a wide shot by Kelly Buchberger and immediately went
down with a groin injury.  This was just awful news for Ranger
fans, as an MRI showed Richter suffered a second degree strain
and would be out until early February.  However, that's when
"WD-40 Man" came to the rescue.  Backup Glenn Healy went on to
start every single game until Richter came back. Guess it pays to
have a $900,000 backup.  
     Then came the month of March, which saw more rumors of Wayne
Gretzky coming to New York than of Michael Jackson being gay (but
then again, that ISN'T a rumor).  There were two versions of the
rumored trade: Gretzky and Jari Kurri for Luc Robitaille and Ray
Ferraro; Gretzky and Kurri for Robitaille, Mattias Norstrom, a
first-round draft pick and $2 million.  However, neither one
materialized, and the Great One was eventually traded to the St.
Louis Blues. 
     In preparation for the stretch run, GM Neil Smith brought in
pesky wingers Bill Berg and Sergio Momesso from Toronto, giving
up Wayne Presley and Nick Kypreos.  Berg and Momesso gave the
Rangers some more size and nastiness to battle the tough Flyers
or Devils in a seven-game series.  Following that move, Smith
pulled off a blockbuster deal that sent Ray Ferraro, Ian
Laperriere, Nathan LaFayette, Mattias Norstrom and a fourth-round
draft pick in 1997 to Los Angeles for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley,
and Shane Churla.  Coming on the heels of the previous trade,
this made the Rangers perhaps the biggest and one of the oldest
teams in the league.  
     With the playoffs around the corner, the Rangers were bitten
by the injury bug.  Messier injured his rib cage cartilage
against Philadelphia April 5, the same night McSorley pulled a
groin and Shane Churla separated a shoulder.  Three days later in
a game against New Jersey, Verbeek sustained a back injury and
Sergei Nemchinov an elbow injury.  Three more days passed before
Samuelsson also injured an elbow.  Alexander Karpovtsev also
remained out with a back injury.  
     The playoffs arrived and this older, bigger, and slower team
still had no chemistry between them as they faced a younger,
smaller, but much quicker Montreal team in the first round. 
Because of the lack of chemistry, the Rangers lost the first two
games in the Garden as Vincent Damphousse just took over scoring
four goals in those two games.  However, sleeping beauty woke up
and managed to win four straight to win the series as Adam Grave
provided some timely scoring (tied team record of six goals in
series), Richter was giving a goaltending clinic, and
Damphousse's magic wore off.  
     "Bring on the Pens" was the cry back in the city as the
Rangers moved on to face the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins in
Round Two. Like the Rangers, the Pens also went down 2-0 in round
one against Washington, only to come back and take the series in
six.  Going into the series, the Rangers knew from watching ESPN
SportsCenter that you can't stop Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr,
you can only hope to contain them.  One little problem, they
didn't even contain them as the Penguins went on to win the
series 4-1, riding the offensive firepower of their two
superstars.  Mario and Mario Jr. went on to score a combined 15
goals (the Rangers as a team had 15), and were just "in a zone". 

     Mark Messier is 35 years old.  He scored 47 goals this
season, played through a nagging rib injury in the spring, scored
four playoff goals, and came up with nothing.  You never like to
waste years like this, but the Rangers threw this one away. 

There are many reasons why they lost, but basically they finished
the regular season in a slump and never got out of it.  They
finished their year losing three straight, four of five, 11 of
their last 16.  And on a team with so many veterans, they forgot
that there isn't an on/off switch. 
     They weren't the right team for the right season.  The
Rangers let everybody down, but most of all, their captain.

TEAM MVP:  Plain and simple, Mark Messier was the heart
and soul of this team.  He was the key player in every situation. 
Offensively, defensively, faceoffs, power play, penalty killing,
you name it, and Messier was the main man.  He led the team in
scoring with 47 goals and 99 points and in +/- rating with a +29. 
Messier missed the last six games of the regular season and the
team went 1-5, losing the last five.  Gives you a pretty good
idea of how important Messier is to the Rangers.

SURPRISES:  Without a doubt, the biggest surprise was the
play of Niklas Sundstrom.  He won the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award for
Best Rookie in training camp and it just continued from there. 
While he didn't contribute so much offensively (nine goals and 21
points in 82 games), it was the little things he did.  He was an
excellent penalty killer paired up with Wayne Presley, then
eventually Jari Kurri.  He was the only consistent third-liner. 
So consistent that the other players on the first two lines knew
that if they screwed up, Sundstrom would jump right in.  He was
also good on faceoffs and superb along the boards, especially as
the season moved along, as he started hitting the weights and
beefing up.

And when the playoffs rolled around, he just got better. He
picked up his offensive game without becoming a defensive
liability, as he provided the Rangers with some timely scoring. 
He saw some more ice time with the second line and even made it
up to the first line a couple of times. 

Sundstrom and Peter Forsberg are best friends, and Sundstrom
patterns his game after Forsberg.  If he can duplicate any of the
success Forsberg has had, there will be more than a few smiles in
the Garden.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  When you think disappointments, you
can't look any farther than Luc Robitaille.  He just had an off-
year.  After having eight years of consecutive 40+ goal seasons,
Robitaille scored a measly 23 goals in 77 games.  That does not
merit the $2.5 million he's getting per season.  Some people say
he had the off year due to the fact he didn't have a first class
center to dish him the puck (Gretzky in LA, Francis in Pitt.),
but he had the off-year for one reason.  He's used to playing on
high tempo, offense-first teams.  While the Rangers aren't the
New Jersey Devils, they don't play as wide open as Los Angeles
and Pittsburgh.  

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Management showed confidence in GM
Neil Smith as they gave him a new six-year contract paying him
about $1 million a season.  Smith can now concentrate on the team
and he knows that he wants to get younger and quicker as the
Rangers were one of the oldest teams in the league last season
with an average age of 29.  

Defenseman Kevin Lowe, 37, looks like he won't be back for
another season.  So that should make Alexander Karpovstev a
regular on the blue line.  And with Jeff Beukeboom an
unrestricted free agent, that just might open the door for Barry
Richter.  

Just like last off-season, the Rangers are looking for a No. 2
center to help with the scoring and feed Robitaille the puck. 
Jeremy Roenick would be nice, but Chicago isn't going to let him
go too easily.  If they can't find someone on the market, they
might look to solve the problem from the inside as they can move
Nemchinov up to the second line and promote Peter Ferraro from
Binghamton or possibly Christian Dube from juniors.  

One player Smith is interested in acquiring is Hartford Whalers'
left winger Brendan Shanahan.  The Rangers are supposedly
offering Alexei Kovalev and a few draft picks for the power
forward.  

Like Beukeboom, Pat Verbeek is also an unrestricted free agent. 
However, with both looking for substantial raises from their
current deals, both of them won't be back in September unless
some compromising is done.

The Rangers see a Stanley Cup in their future.  However, with the
big, tough Eastern conference becoming bigger, tougher, and
quicker every day, Smith and his associates have a busy
off-season ahead.


---------------------------------------------------------------
OTTAWA SENATORS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 18-59-5; 41 points. 
Finished: 6th in the Northeast, 26th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 191 (26th) 
Goals Allowed: 291 (21st) 
Power Play: 12.3% (26th) 
Penalty Killing: 77.9% (25th)


SEASON RECAP by The Nosebleeders

     The Senators entered the 95-96 season with great promise. 
Coming off three straight last place finishes, the team had
nowhere to go but up.  Expectation by Sens marketing were that
this was the season that the team would compete for a playoff
spot.  The new arena was to open mid-season and the team
indicated that an increased player salary budget would be made
available to help advance the team. 
     The results did not live up to expectations.  Off-ice issues
received more attention than on-ice performance.  In fact the
season could be split in two: pre-Gauthier and post-Gauthier.
Pre-Gauthier featured the Alexei Yashin dispute, the stalled
Bryan Berard discussions, firing of coach Rick Bowness and the
hiring of Dave Allison, poor efforts from the club and a lack of
respectability.  Post-Gauthier featured the firing of Allison,
hiring of Jacques Martin to lead the coaching staff, the settling
of the Yashin dispute, a big trade for Damian Rhodes and Wade
Redden, increased respect throughout the league, and inspired
efforts from the team.  
     As the preseason got underway it became obvious that the
Yashin holdout would probably carry into the season.  During the
94-95 season, Yashin was promised that his contract would be
re-negotiated if his results (points) matched or exceeded an
"agreed-to" level.  He did not make the grade but was close and
felt that the team should act in good faith.  In addition, the
first overall pick in the 95 entry draft, Bryan Berard refused to
attend the rookie camp citing a lack of seriousness from the
Senators front office over his contract negotiations.  It was not
clear whether Berard would have made the team or received enough
ice time to continue his development if he did. 
     Despite the absence of Yashin and Berard, the young Sens
showed promise in the preseason which carried over to a very fast
start.  After the first month of play, the surprising Sens led
the Northeast conference and things were looking up.  Radek Bonk
and Alexandre Daigle were still not playing up to expectations
but the team was working hard and the preseason addition of
Steve Duchesne from St. Louis helped as he quarterbacked the
power play.   
     The team's fast start did not last as injuries began to pile
up including the loss of Dan Quinn and Duchesne.  The Sens sunk
fast, as such, pressure to sign Yashin mounted.  Yashin was
quoted as saying he would not play for Bowness or GM Sexton ever
again.  Pressure to remove the inexperienced Sexton mounted. 
After a string of eight straight losses, despite the team still
having their best start ever, on November 20th, Sexton,
indicating a need for a spark, fired coach Bowness.  Bowness
openly questioned the move, indicating that the team was not that
bad and that injuries had played a large role in their recent
play.  His replacement was the easy going Dave Allison, who was
the head coach of the Sens P.E.I. farm team. 
     During this first part of the season, a few players were
noticeable; the grit and determination of Randy Cunneyworth, the
"don't-back-down" play of Stan Neckar, the surprise success of
rookie Daniel Alfredsson, Dan Quinn's speed, Sean Hill's
blue-line shot, Martin Straka's playmaking, Trent McClearly's
ability to get under opposition's skin.  Bonk started to
show promise, and goalie Don Beaupre was nothing short of
outstanding. 
     Even with the bright spots, coach Allison did not provide
the expected spark.  By December, it was clear the playoff's
would be a dream.  Calls for Sexton's firing drowned out the
Civic Centre sound system, and on December 11th, Sexton was
fired.  Pierre Gauthier became the third Senators GM in the 90's. 
Gauthier helped build the Quebec Nordiques before moving on to
Anaheim and was welcomed by Sens fans who felt that finally the
team had hired a man with proven hockey knowledge and experience.
     On January 17th, the team marked a milestone with the grand
opening of its new wonderful home, the world class Palladium
(since renamed "Corel Centre").  The arena did little to improve
the team's lackluster play and GM Gauthier quickly pulled the
hook on rookie coach Allison, replacing him on January 23rd with
former St. Loius coach and Colorado assistant coach Jacques
Martin.  Although the Sens continued to lose, it was clear that
the change had made a difference.  The team had spirit, Bonk even
scored a few picture perfect goals and was starting to use his
size while playing with new determination.  Unfortunately, the
team ended their first homestand at the Palladium on a sour note
against New Jersey.  Alexander Daigle, who was playing with
improved confidence and flare at the time, broke his arm 
crashing into the Devil's net, ending his season.  Daigle is
expected to fully recovery and he hopes that 96-97 is "his year".
     As the season winded down, coach Martin challenged his team
in stating that some players may not be back with the team next
season and if they want to remain in the league they should play
like they deserve to be there.  When the season ended, Martin
suggested a conditioning program for all players, and, if taken
seriously by the team, should help them in 96-97. 
     The new management and coaching staff has brought stability
and respectability to the team.  With an inventory of young
talent, and many non-core players becoming free agents, Gauthier
and Martin appear to be in a good position for molding the team
into a contender.  Entering next season, they have a lot to build
on; Rookie of The Year Daniel Alfreddson's solid, consistent
play despite the team's constant off-ice issues; Damian Rhodes, a
young and talented goalie with his best years ahead of him; Wade
Redden, who should pay dividends for years to come; the
rejuvenated play of Radek Bonk and Alexandre Daigle; Alexei
Yashin coming off solid play at the world championships; Stan
"don't-back-down" Neckar; Shawn McEachern recently aquired from
Boston; gritty veterans like Randy Cunneyworth and Tom Chorske; 
hard hitting Dennis Vial and Troy Mallette, playmaker Pavol
Demitra; first overall pick in the 96 entry draft defenceman
Chris Phillips; and Steve Duchesne to quarterback the power play
and work along side veterans Sean Hill and Frank Musil with the
younger defencemen.

TEAM MVP:  We felt that there was one clear choice for
Team MVP on the Senators, and that honour goes to Randy
Cunneyworth.  Randy was the team captain and played a critical
leadership role both on and off the ice for this young,
fragile team.  This season included management changes, contract
turmoil, and questionable player moves in addition to poor team
performance.  Throughout it all, Cunneyworth displayed the
maturity and steadiness that a veteran and a leader should.  Off
the ice he helped to keep the dressing room positive while on the
ice he delivered a consistent level of grit and determination. 
Randy was third in team scoring, chipping in a respectable 
17 goals and adding 19 assists for 36 points.

As we reported in an earlier edition, Randy was given the
opportunity to move to a contending team near the trading
deadline when an offer was made to new GM Pierre Gauthier. 
Cunneyworth replied, in no uncertain terms, that "He wants to be
here... He feels he can play a strong leadership role for
this team next year and help the youngsters develop even
further".  That's a committed team player; and on a team that
needed stability more than anything else this season, he is the
obvious choice for MVP.

A close runner up has to be Damian Rhodes.  Despite playing in
his blue Maple Leaf pads for months after the trade, Rhodes made
a genius of GM Gauthier with some great play, keeping the Sens in
many late season games and leading them to victories where
otherwise none would have been found.
  
SURPRISES:  The surprise of the year has to be rookie
Daniel Alfredsson.  Daniel came to camp from Sweden as a no-name
1994 fifth-round draft pick with little chance of making the
team.  However, his feisty play coupled with his scoring touch,
caught the eye of coach Rick Bowness and former director of
scouting John Ferguson.  Were they right!  He finished his steady
season as the team goal, assist and overall scoring leader. 
Daniel netted 26 goals and had 60 points for this last place
team.  He was the only rookie to lead his team in scoring and the
only rookie selected to the All-Star Game.  Alfredsson culminated
his surprise season last week by winning the Calder Trophy as the
league's most outstanding rookie!  Congratulations Daniel!

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  It would be easy to select one of
several players that had disappointing seasons but perhaps the
most disappointing thing was the lack of improvement in team
performance.  The club entered this season with new hope and
optimism, promising season ticket holders that they would
challenge for a playoff spot.  This dream vanished by November
and the club went into a terrible tailspin.  Not only did the
Senators lose, they didn't even compete on many nights.

Although the team made drastic improvements in the final
one-third of the season, it was not enough to remove the
generally bitter taste in fans mouths.  Fans were embarrassed by
the team's poor quality of play, the continued Yashin contract
squabble and shoddy management including moves made by general
manager Randy Sexton.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  When a team finishes in last place
for the fourth consecutive year you expect a lot of off-season
changes.  During the season the team took some of those strides
by bringing in a new management and coaching staff.  Pierre
Gauthier is respected throughout the league and may make a fine
GM, while Jacques Martin has shown he knows how to motivate
players and field a somewhat competitive team on the ice.  New GM
Gauthier also pulled a key trade during the season when they
received goaltender Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden for Bryan
Berard, Don Beaupre and Martin Straka.  Rhodes has proven
to be a solid netminder and Redden is a prospect whom most scouts
believe will be a rock solid defenceman.  Redden recently signed
a three-year deal with the Senators.

The Senators can make improvements everywhere but we feel there
are two areas that require specific focus:  a tougher, stronger
defence and a few consistent goal scoring wingers.  Ottawa has a
solid starting goaltender in Rhodes but they could use a few
defencemen that can clear the opposing forwards from the front of
the net.  Will they have enough with their new young defensive
core?  Up front, the Sens need some wingers to play with
their young centres Yashin, Bonk and Daigle.

On June 22nd, the NHL held the 1996 entry draft.  The Senators
had the first pick and selected Chris Phillips.  He is projected
as scouts to be a steady, solid defenceman and has the NHL size
to be a physical presence.  We expect Chris to play another year
of Junior before he joins the Senators.  Also on draft day, the
Sens traded forward Trent McCleary and their 1996 third-round
pick to Boston for forward Shawn McEachern.  This looks like a
good trade, as McEachern scored 24 goals and added 29 assists for
Boston last year.  That performance would have made him second in
Senators scoring last season.  McCleary was a fan favourite for
his fearless style of play and consistent work effort, but he
only scored four goals for the team.  Initially, McEachern was
disappointed in the trade because Boston is his hometown and
he owned a home there.  However, he felt that a trade might
happen and was quoted as saying that he is "excited about going
to Ottawa".  He feels they have a good young team with talented
centres like Yashin and Bonk.  Let's hope Shawn can retain his
scoring touch as a Senator.

The Senators still need to acquire one or two other quality
wingers.  This means that they will have to be aggressive in the
free-agent market or make a trade, perhaps involving disgruntled
defenceman Stan Neckar.  Neckar wants the final year of his
contract re-negotiated. 
 
During the World Championships Gauthier noted how well Yashin
played with his fellow Russian linemates, most notably San Jose's
Victor Kozlov.  This has prompted rumours that Gauthier will try
to trade for the forward, who has so far been a disappointment in
the NHL.  Yashin also responded well to his leadership role at
the World Championships and expectations are that he may receive
and "A" on his sweater for 96-97.


One key to the Senator's player movements involves Alexandre
Daigle.  When Gauthier talks about the building blocks of this
franchise he lists Yashin, Bonk, Rhodes and Redden as pieces to
the puzzle.  He would most certainly now add Chris Phillips to
that list.  Rarely is Daigle's name mentioned.  Daigle was
beginning to play some exciting, productive hockey before he
broke his arm in the last part of the season.  There is talk that
the Senators would like to trade Daigle, and the $5.7 million
remaining on his contract, to make room for other players. 
Colorado has been cited as one possible destination.  If
Colorado, or any other team for that matter, was willing to
pick up his contract then the Senators would not ask for a lot in
return.  They would prefer to use the money to sign quality free
agents. 

All in all, it will be an interesting off-season for the Ottawa
Senators Hockey Club.  They started to show some promise at the
end of last season and the club wants to sell as many as thirteen
thousand season tickets in the new Corel Centre this year.  This
means that the Sens will have to build on the momentum created by
their strong finish last year by adding some scoring punch to the
lineup.  This is also Pierre Gauthier's first full year 
as the team's GM and he will have to prove that he has the
foresight, vision, and guts to lead this team out of the basement
cellar.


---------------------------------------------------------------
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 45-24-13; 103 points.
Finished: 1st in the Atlantic, 3rd overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Semifinals to Florida Panthers 4-2.

Goals Scored: 282 (4th) 
Goals Allowed: 208 (4th) 
Power Play:  19.7% (6th)
Penalty Killing: 85.8% (2nd) 

SEASON RECAP by Andrew Monfried

     The 1995-96 season was one of goals for the Philadelphia 
Flyers. Could they score any, could they stop any, and could they 
achieve the ones they set at the beginning of the season? 
Throughout the season, all questions seemed to be yes, but after
a second-round loss to the Panthers, the Flyers goal of winning a
Stanley Cup was delayed for another year. 
     After a demoralizing loss to the Devils in the '95 playoffs,
the Flyers decided to get bigger to combat the sizable Devils. In
came Kjell Samuelsson at 6'6", who was looking to squeeze one
last season out of his bones and realize the glory for the
franchise set aside by the Oiler dynasties in the 1980's. Also
jumping aboard was Joel Otto. He had his eyes set on the Grail
after playing with the Flames for the past ten years. Dimitri
Yuskevich was jettisoned to Toronto as the odd man out in Bobby
Clarke's experiment to transform the Flyers into something the
size of Godzilla. 
     While they were now the biggest team in the league, the
moves did not address the fundamental problem that they could not
score against the better teams. Samuelsson has fewer career goals
than Bob Dole, and Otto's role as a face-off man specialist and a
grinder was duplicated by Craig MacTavish. Questions abounded as
to whether Ron Hextall's body could stand up to the rigors of the
82-game season, and if not, was the two-headed monster of Dominic
Roussel and Garth Snow ready to step in? 
     Sure, the Flyers had assets. The Legion of Doom line with
Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg was one of the
most potent in the league. They had scored 80 goals in 48 games a
season before. Rob Brind'Amour, Brent Fedyk, Patrick Juhlin, and
Kevin Dineen were being counted on to supply more scoring, and
the team had muscle with Shawn Antoski patroling the ice. The
defense was solid with Eric Desjardins leading the way.
Desjardins was the key piece in the Mark Recchi trade the
previous spring while Karl Dykhuis, Chris Therien, and Kevin
Haller were a good group of young defensemen who were coming 
off an impressive playoff. 
     Knowing that, the team jumped out to an impressive 5-0-1
start including a season-opening pasting of the soon to be
Roy-less Canadiens. Then, the boat began to shake a little.
Hextall pulled a hamstring in Los Angeles and was lost to the
team for nine games. While it may have placated the nay-sayers
about Hextall's ability, it provided the opportunity for Garth
Snow to shine. The Snow transaction for a third-rounder from
Colorado may have been looked over in the summer, but it had a
big impact on the Flyers season. After 10 games, Snow's GAA was a
miniscule 1.98. His ascendancy caused the downfall of Dominic
Roussel who was eventually disavowed to Winnipeg. 
     Hextall made it back and became the anchor in a solid
defense. Then, Eric Lindros was felled thanks to a low bridge
take-out by Jason Woolley which caused him to miss two weeks.
Lindros has still not played a full season at the NHL level
because of nagging injuries. When he came back, the team played
inspired hockey where they went on an 11-2-0 run in late November
to vault to the top of the Eastern Conference. Included in the
streak were two wins over Pittsburgh where the team had to come 
from behind, and one over Stanley Cup favorite Detroit. Part of
the streak was the acquisition of Pat Falloon from San Jose. the
Sharks had given up on the former second-overall pick, but the
Flyers saw the potential he had when not forced to be the star
player on the team. Falloon had four points in his first three
games, all wins. 
     It seemed like it was a season of streaks for the team.
After their win over Pittsburgh, the team got a collective case
of the hiccups. It started with a loss to New Jersey during a
blizzard with the winning goal coming off a deflection from Bill
Guerin's stick. The result was a 3-6-7 string where the Flyers
production dropped more than a goal a game during their Western
roadtrip. Philadelphia bottomed out in late January during three
games with Pittsburgh, Washington, and New York where they came
away with only one point. The Ranger game was one of the most
spirited of the season as the team came back with goals from
Lindros and Brind'amour in the third. They could only manage the
point which gave them the name of the Tyers since they tied seven
out of 15 games. They were crushed on national tv by the Penguins
in Pittsburgh, 7-4, and then suffered a shocking overtime loss to
Washington on an overtime goal by Steve Konowalchuk. At that
point, the team's record was 24-14-11, not too shabby but it left
them in fourth place. 
     Whether it was the groundhog or possibly a blindside hit on
Petr Svoboda by Marc Bureau, the team found its stride once again
in February. A brawl marred game against the Canadiens galvanized
the team. Wins over Florida, Chicago, and New Jersey gave the
club the confidence that they could beat the better teams in the
league. At the same time, Philadelphia could not maintain
consistency with losses to Buffalo (twice) and Tampa Bay. The
Flyers headed into March stumbling after a tie with Dallas, a
sloppy win over Ottawa, and three straight losses to Boston,
Washington, and New Jersey. 
     In the meantime, Bobby Clarke kept tinkering with the team's
make-up by acquiring Trent Klatt, Bob Corkum, and Dan Quinn for
next to nothing. Joel Otto was down with a knee injury, Corkum
hurt a shoulder, Rob Dimaio had bruised a bone, and Patrik Juhlin
had been banished to the diasabled list after indiffferent play
all season. The Flyers needed the extra bodies as Mikael Renberg
also spent a prolonged amount of time on the shelf with a nagging
abdomen injury. The injury allowed him to play only five games
after January 24th and he was day-to-day for every other game. 
It seemed to force the Legion of Doom to try out new wingers for
every game. The team would need the depth come playoff time. 
     Trader Bob pulled off a steal by getting future Hall-of-
Famer Dale Hawerchuk out of Mike Keenan's doghouse in St. Louis
for the small price of Craig MacTavish.  Hawerchuk paid immediate
dividends with multi-point games in seven of his first 12 games.
The Flyers went on a tear winning nine out of 10. Hawerchuk fit
in nicely along with LeClair and Lindros. It gave some much-
needed stability to the team as lines finally began to be set
from night to night. Philadelphia fought back from fourth place
to striking distance of the Penguins for top spot in the
conference. The team needed to win their last three with the hope 
that the Penguins would collapse. And they did. More importantly,
the Flyers won two of three on the road. John LeClair picked up
his 50th goal of the season, and the Flyers moved on to the
playoffs as the top seed in the conference. 
     Round One brought the Lightning and Flyers together. The
Lightning had been a thorn in the side of the team all season
keeping the games close and presenting a physical style of play
which was tough to solve over a seven-game series. Still, the
Flyers looked to win this one easily as Tampa sneaked into the
playoffs on the last day of the season. Game One was a walk as
the Flyers crushed Tampa 7-3. Six different players scored and
Hextall looked good but showed signs that he could let in a weak 
goal or two in the later stages of the game. Game Two was a
different story as Tampa Bay were out to hurt the Flyers. They
did that by registering a 2-1 win over the Flyers, but they also
put LeClair out of the game as well as sidelining Lindros and
John Druce. Michel Petit and Igor Ulanov took turns taking cheap
shots at the Flyers. Tampa won the next one in overtime as well
and the Flyers were shaking their heads as to how to beat the
Bolts. 
     Game Four brought LeClair back and his presence was
immediately felt as he scored two goals on laser beam shots from
the left circle. The Flyers had tied it, and Daren Puppa was
beginning to look mortal. The Flyers won Game Five at home which
featured more blood than your average horror movie. It was
indicative of the physical series but it was also helped out by
the poor refereeing of the game. Over a hundred minutes in
penalties including numerous high sticking fouls that would have 
merited suspensions in the regular season but were not even
called in this game. With the Flyers up 3-2, they went back to
Tampa and finally vanquished the Lightning with an impressive 6-1
win. It took longer than they thought, but they were through to
the next round. 
     Next up were the nameless yet fearless Florida Panthers.
This was a team the Flyers had trouble with all season. Besides
the fact that they had split the season series, it looked to be a
hard fought defensive matchup. It showed in the first game as the
Pantehrs stifled the Flyers offense holding their top line to one
shot and Eric Lindros to none. The Panthers counter attacked the
Flyers to death and won Game One over a sleepy Spectrum crowd
2-0. Game Two featured the re-awakening of the Flyers offense as
the top line had close to half the team's shots. Still, John
Vanbiesbrouck kept his team in it with superior goaltending. His
antics were matched by Ron Hextall at the  other end. The Flyers
were down 1-0 but came back with goals from LeClair, Lindros, and
Dykhuis to even the series. 
     In Florida, they got the all-important first goal from
Hawerchuk and were able to hold off the Panthers for 3-1 victory.
The game featured a post-game melee which further cemented Eric
Lindros as a villain in South Florida after his stickwork in the
first three games. Game Four was an unusual shootout for both
teams but Florida finally won 5-4 despite the Flyers being able
to come back in the last minute with a goal from Brind'Amour.
Game Five sent the two teams back to the Spectrum and was 
another snoozefest which featured incredible goaltending by both 
netminders. The Panthers still had the kabosh on the Flyers
offense and allowed only an Eric Lindros power-play goal. The
double-overtime loss signalled the end for the Flyers as they
were forced to go back to Miami. The game featured the Flyers'
inability to get the puck back in the net and tons of squandered
opportunities. After Bill Lindsay scored a short-handed
breakaway, the end was near. The Flyers were doomed to another
playoff entirely in the Eastern Conference. Florida scored the
next three and, despite LeClair's late goal, the Flyers lost 4-1
to the eventual Stanley Cup finalists.

TEAM MVP:  For all of Eric Lindros' offensive capabilities
on the ice and his leaderhip in the locker room, the Flyers would
have gone nowhere without the goaltending of Ron Hextall. People
doubted his ability to play a full season, but he responded with
a sparkling 2.17 GAA tied for best in the league and he won 30
games for the 4th time in his career. To put it in perspective,
his beat season before that was in 1987 when he won 37 with a
3.00 GAA. His goals-against this season was almost a full point
lower, and he had four shutouts. Off the ice, he demonstrated his
abilities as a quiet leader, and was able to keep his temper down
on the ice. At 32 years old, Ron Hextall may be getting better.

SURPRISES::  Before this season, Shjon Podein was nothing
more than another hockey guy whose name you could not pronounce.
After this season, he was one of the top defensive forwards in
the league with a nasty penchant for scoring short-handed goals.
The winner of the Pelle Lindbergh trophy for most improved player
never left anything on the ice. A tireless worker, he was on the
top penalty killing line. For good reason, his +/- was 25, and he
was on the ice for 39 even strength goals. He had four short-
handed goals, and 15 total, a new career high. Podein played in
nearly every game, and became a valued player on the third line.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The Flyers' Swedish connection of Mikael
Renberg and Patrick Juhlin were looked on to provide scoring
depth for the Flyers. Felled by injuries, neither were able to
achieve their potential after the '95 season. Juhlin played just
five games this season because of an injured hamstring and was
largely non-existant. He went from the 2nd to the 4th line to the
bench to Hershey. He made it back for a November 11 game against
New Jersey, promptly got a five-minute major and that was the
last time he has been seen in an NHL arena. After that game, he
developed another "injury" and was sent to Hershey on a 
conditioning stint that lasted the whole season.

Renberg played well when he was in the lineup, notching 23 goals
in 46 games. Then he wrote a new chapter in medical textbooks.
His groin, stomach, pelvis, abdomen, osteo myelitis, whatever
flared up which kept him out of all but five games the rest of
the season. It baffled doctors and the Flyers coaching staff, and
especially Renberg who was dissapointed he could not play the
second half of the season. Renberg is one of the more intense
players on the team, and the Flyers' woes nagged him as much as
his injury. He wanted to play so badly that he started stretching
in the delivery room while his wife gave birth before a playoff
game with the hope he could make it back to the arena. Even in
the playoffs, Renberg looked out of synch and scored just one
goal. Once healed, Renberg will be a potent force again, but 
his injury caused problems that the Flyers could not account for
in the second half of the season.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Bobby Clarke has remained adamant not
to mess with the team's nucleus. They still need some grit and
goal scoring up front so the Flyers might go after Pat Verbeek
who is the prize of a weak free-agent class this year. One new
player who will be with the team is Janne Niinima. Niinima will
showcase his talents this summer at the world championships, and
then join the Flyers for training camp. His talent lies in his
skating and orchestrating the power play. Other than that, the
Flyers will probably part with Samuelsson or Kerry Huffman, both
who did not have good playoffs. The team is still young, and they
will have the added excitement of moving into the new Core States
Center. They have also seen the past two seasons what it takes to
make it to the finals. Now they have to apply it.

---------------------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 49-29-4; 102 points.
Finished: 1st in Northeast, 4th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Finals to Florida Panthers 4-3.

Goals Scored: 362 (1st) 
Goals Allowed: 284 (20th) 
Power Play: 26.0% (1st) 
Penalty Killing: 83.3% (8th)

SEASON RECAP by Michael Dell

     1995-96 was a season of change for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 
Yet somehow they managed to advance further into the playoffs
then they had in the previous three years... go figure? 
     The Pittsburgh lineup went through an extensive overhaul
last off-season that saw many veterans of the two Stanley Cup
teams sent packing.  Larry Murphy, Kevin Stevens, Ulf Samuelsson,
Kjell Samuelsson, Joey Mullen, Luc Robitaille, and yes, even
Johnny Cullen, LCS cult hero and the idol of millions
from eight to 80, were cut loose.  They were exchanged for a
younger, faster generation of Penguin players that included Petr
Nedved, Sergei Zubov, Bryan Smolinski, Glen Murray, and Dmitri
Mironov.  
     The biggest change in the lineup, however, was the return of
Mario Lemieux after sitting out the entire 1994-95 season in
order to rest his ailing back and regain the strength he lost in
his battle with Hodgkin's Disease.  The sight of big number 66
once again wearing a Penguin sweater was a dream come true for
Pittsburgh fans.  And Mario certainly didn't disappoint.  Lemieux
appeared in 70 games, leading the league in goals (69) assists
(92), points (161), power-play goals (31), and short-handed goals
(8).  While he may not be the same dominant one-on-one player he
was in the past, Lemieux's intelligence with the puck and overall
knowledge of the game still makes him the greatest offensive
force in the league.  His remarkable comeback season earned
Lemieux his fifth Art Ross Trophy, his fourth Lester B. Pearson
Award, his fourth First Team All-Star Selection, and his third
Hart Trophy.  
     While Lemieux was the main weapon in the Pittsburgh
offensive arsenal that scored a league leading 362 goals, he had
plenty of help from his friends.  Jaromir Jagr backed up his
1994-95 Art Ross Trophy-winning year with an even stronger
performance this past season.  Jagr was a dominant force through
all 82 games and set new career highs in goals (62), assists
(87), and points (149).  He also broke Peter Stastny's record for
most points by a European-born player and set a new mark for
points by a right winger as well.  
     Jagr's mentor and center, Ron Francis, had possibly the
quietest 119-point season in the history of the NHL.  With
Lemieux and Jagr stealing all the headlines, Francis continued to
churn out his usual brand of consistent excellence.  Francis set
new career highs in assists (92 - tieing Lemieux for the league
lead) and points while earning his second straight nomination for
the Selke Trophy.  The Penguins just missed having the top three
scorers in the league when Colorado's Joe Sakic edged Francis for
the number three spot on the final day of the regular season. 
     Joining Jagr and Francis on Pittsburgh's second line was the
newly-acquired Petr Nedved.  After starting off the season
centering the third line, Nedved was moved up to play the left
side with Francis and Jagr in early December.  The trio
immediately clicked and Nedved soared to superstardom.  A
dazzling skater, Nedved used his overwhelming speed to ring up
career highs in goals (45), assists (54), and points (99).  He
also took over for Francis as the team's top face-off man.  It
was truly a breakthrough season for the 25-year-old Czech native.

     Tomas Sandstrom also enjoyed a terrific offensive season, at
least that is until injuries sidelined him for the second half of
the year.  Playing the right side for Lemieux, Sandstrom was on
pace to shatter all of his career scoring marks before ankle
surgery knocked him out of the lineup at the All-Star break.  In
his first game back from surgery, Sandstrom was devastated by a
clean, open-ice check from Hartford's Steve Rice.  The collision
once again put Sandstrom on the shelf and he would miss the
remainder of the regular season.  Despite only appearing in 58
games, Sandstrom's totals of 35 goals and 70 points are still
mighty impressive.  Even when he returned for the postseason,
Sandstrom never really found his game.  His clutch scoring and
productivity on the power play, where he racked up 17 goals
during his abbreviated regular season, were sorely missed. 
     The Penguin attack was rather top heavy.  Once you got past
the top five guys there really wasn't much left.  Bryan Smolinski
(24-40-64) ran hot and cold throughout the year even though he
did manage to set a new career high in points.  Glen Murray (14-
15-29) was beginning to deliver on the promise that made him a
number one draft choice of the Boston Bruins back in 1991 before
a shoulder injury knocked him out for 13 games just when he was
finding his stride.  Kevin Miller (28-25-53) was solid, but
hardly spectacular, after arriving from San Jose at the trade
deadline.  Rookies Dave Roche (7-7-14) and Joe Dziedzic (5-5-10)
each added muscle and toughness to the mix.  They should both be
fixtures in the lineup for the next few seasons, with Dziedzic
possibly having the best upside potential.  This kid's
similarities to a young Kevin Stevens are down right eery at
times.  Fellow rookies Chris Wells (2-2-4) and Richard "Dickie"
Park (4-6-10) both saw time as fourth line centers.  A fabulous
skater, Park has all the skills to be an impact player. 
Unfortunately, at this time he's just too small and weak
defensively to compete at center in the NHL on a regular basis.  
Alek Stojanov (1-1-2) did little more than catch punches with his
face after being acquired from Vancouver for Markus Naslund.  His
future with the club should be a definite question mark. 
Veterans Dave McLlwain (2-5-7) and Brad Lauer (4-1-5) rounded out
the rest of the regulars.           
     While Pittsburgh's offense provided plenty of flash, the
club's defense did little more than fizzle.  Chris Tamer won the
award for Best Defenseman given by the club at the end of the
regular season, and deservingly so.  The 25-year-old, second year
pro was a pillar of strength for the Penguins and was easily the
most-improved player on the team.  After earning the reputation
as a true heavyweight contender by pounding a steady stream of
courageous victims in the first few months of the season, Tamer
gradually dropped the gloves less and concentrated on playing his
position more.  The result was Tamer becoming a legitimate go-to
guy for the club along the blue line.  He really came into his
own during the first-round victory over Washington in this year's
playoffs.  
     Unfortunately, outside of Tamer, the Pittsburgh defense was
void of any other impressive showings.  Sergei Zubov did finish
eighth in scoring among defensemen with 11 goals and 66 points,
which is particularly amazing since he was limited to just 64
games because of various hand injuries, but he was an adventure
in his own zone all season long.  Even with his defensive
shortcomings, Zubov was counted on to log enormous amounts of ice
time, especially in the playoffs, and performed admirably
considering the workload.  However, he just never seemed to fit
in and his reluctance to shoot the puck practically crippled the
power play.  
     The rest of the defense was basically worthless.  Neil
Wilkinson did provide some gritty work after his arrival from
Winnipeg, but he also displayed the mental lapses that have made
Pittsburgh his fifth club in the past six years.  Francois Leroux
is a fan favorite for his booming checks and willingness to drop
the gloves.  Sadly, he is also a favorite of the opposition since
they routinely abuse Frankie on the way to the net.  Late-season
acquisition J.J. Daigneault brought some mobility and experience
to the unit, although he did show signs of why he never cracked
the St. Louis lineup under Mike Keenan with some of his defensive
decisions.  Dmitri Mironov was a complete bust after coming over
for Larry Murphy.  Ian Moran did little to distinguish himself in
his rookie season.  Chris Joseph was, well, Chris Joseph.  Former
1993 first-round pick Stefan Bergkvist showed promise in his
brief time with the club and should be one of the top six next
season. 
     The goaltending picture was once again clouded by the "who's
number one" question.  Tom Barrasso (29-16-2, 3.43, .902, 2
shutouts) started out as the main man in net before he suffered
his annual bout with the injury bug.  Ken Wregget (20-13-2, 3.24,
.905, 3 shutouts) was his usual steady self in filling in for
Barrasso.  Wregget posted better numbers and made a serious run
at claiming the number one spot during the playoffs only to be
replaced in the Conference Finals after a poor showing early. 
Both goaltenders played well throughout the year and gave the
Penguins a strong last line of defense.  While it may cause some
controversy and plenty of fodder for the talk shows, having two
number one goaltenders is a problem most teams would love to
have.        
     Another strength this year for Pittsburgh was its specialty
teams.  The Penguins boasted the number one power-play unit in
the league, clicking at 26.0%, which was almost five full
percentage points ahead of the nearest competitor.  The numbers
are a bit misleading, however, since the Pens opened up the first
few months of the season scoring on nearly 40% of their man-
advantages.  Their power play was so devastating that it was
rumored more than once that the referees simply weren't calling
penalties in order to keep the games fair.  Much of the early-
season success was turned in while Norm Maciver was manning the
point in place of an injured Zubov.  Once Zubov came back healthy
and Maciver was dealt to Winnipeg, the unit's performance
suffered.  After awhile the numbers started to even out and
actually began a free fall over the second half of the season. 
By the time the playoffs started, the power play was a mere
shadow of its former self and was a major reason for Pittsburgh's
eventual loss to the Florida Panthers in the Conference Finals. 
The unit clicked at 16.0% for the postseason.  That same
conversion rate would have ranked them nineteenth during the
regular season. 
     The penalty-killing unit finished eighth in the league. 
Lemieux, Francis, Jagr, Nedved, Sandstrom, and Smolinski saw the
majority of time up front.  With that much talent killing
penalties, Pittsburgh finished second in short-handed goals
scored with 21, only one behind first place Colorado.  
     Even though Pittsburgh made it to within one game of the
Stanley Cup Finals, this was hardly a championship club.  Only
the watered-down competition of the post-expansion NHL enabled
them to get that far.  This team is much closer to missing the
playoffs than winning a Cup.  Brilliant individual performances
carried the team through the regular season and the first two
rounds of the playoffs.  Once the scoring began to dry up, the
Penguins simply had nothing else to fall back on.   
     Not only do they lack the strong defense of a championship
team, the Penguins also are in desperate need of some character
and fiery leadership.  The losses of Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet,
Larry Murphy, and Ulf Samuelsson really showed in the series with
Florida.  Lemieux did his best to rally the troops, but they
simply failed to respond.  After setting up the tieing goal with
a magnificent rush up ice in Game Six, Lemieux turned to the
bench as he skated back to take the center-ice draw and shouted
to his team,"Let's go."  His call to arms fell on deaf ears and
the Pens gave up the game-winner almost immediately after Lemieux
left the ice.  Back in the day, the Penguins simply would have
taken that game over.  Unfortunately, those days are gone. 
     This was initially meant to be a rebuilding year for the
Penguins.  Lemieux's return, along with the regular-season and
post-season success, has altered those plans slightly.  Look for
Pittsburgh to continue to give the youngsters playing time next
season, but expect a few more playoff-calibre performers brought
in for one more serious run at a Cup before Lemieux does decide
to hang them up.

TEAM MVP:  The winner is obviously Mario Lemieux.  He did
it all for the Penguins this year.  He may have lost a step, but
he's still a country mile ahead of the rest of the league.  His
mere presence shaped every game he played.  Without Mario,
Pittsburgh would have been a five-hundred club battling for a
playoff spot instead of the fourth best team in the league.

SURPRISES:  When Ulf Samuelsson and Luc Robitaille were
traded to New York for Sergei Zubov and Petr Nedved, Zubov was
expected to be the key man in the trade.  Instead, it was Nedved
that rose to the occasion and made the deal a clear winner for
the Pens.  Everyone knew Nedved had the potential to put up the
offensive numbers, the real surprising thing about his game was
his defensive work.  He may not be the second coming of Bob
Gainey, but Nedved was solid in his own end, as well as being a
dependable penalty killer and the club's top face-off man.  

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The Penguins acquired Sergei Zubov with
the intentions that he would become a dominant offensive force
from the blue line and their anchor on the power play for many
years to come.  Now Zubie is heading to the Lone Star state. 
Maybe he'll get a chance to check out the Alamo.  I hear it has a
really cool basement.  "The huts were made of adobe.  Can you say
adobe?  Say it with me now, ah-dough-bee."

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Mario Lemieux had said that he wasn't
sure if he would come back to play next season, but now it is
considered a lock that he will be back.  He still isn't expected
to make an official announcement until around the middle of July.

Lemieux publicly said that one of the factors that would
determine whether or not he'd come back would be what kind of
team the Penguins would have next season.  The message was sent
loud and clear to Penguin GM Craig Patrick.  Make some changes or
else.  Patrick has already taken a major step in making the Pens
more playoff friendly next season by trading Sergei Zubov to the
Dallas Stars for Kevin Hatcher.  Zubov never fit in with the
Penguins.  It was almost possible to visibly see smoke coming out
of Lemieux's ears as he tried to run the power play with Zubov. 
He's a swell guy and all, but it's for the best that Zubie was
moved. 

The fact that Patrick was able to get Kevin Hatcher in return is
pure genius.  Hatcher is da boy.  He's just enormous!  He's
listed at 6'4", 225, but he's bigger than that.  He's huge!  When
he travels to New York, the air force gets ready just in case
Hatcher decides to climb the Empire State Building.  I'm just
sayin' he's big.  

Hatcher also isn't scared to shoot the puck.  He scored 15 goals
this season for the offensively-challenged Dallas Stars.  In
1992-93 with the Caps, Hatcher rang up 34 goals.  The knock on
Hatcher has always been that he doesn't play as big as his size,
but once a guy gets a label like that it's tough to loose. 
Hatcher was a one-man wrecking crew in Washington's first-round
upset of the Penguins in 1993-94.  It's virtually impossible to
find big, mobile defenseman that can score 30+ goals.  Hatcher is
one of a kind. 

His acquisition will go a long way in making sure Lemieux comes
back next season.  Lemieux was very pleased when he heard news of
the trade and said that when a team goes into the playoffs they
need warriors, and Kevin Hatcher is a warrior.  LCS has been a
fan of Hatcher's for a long time and we're anxiously awaiting the
chance to see him play with Lemieux on a regular basis.

Expect a few more moves to be made this off-season in order to
improve the defense and prepare the Pens for a serious playoff
run next season.  There is some talk about going after
unrestricted free agent Jeff Beukeboom.  If the Pens could land
him, Beukeboom would be a tremendous asset to the club.  Imagine
a defense with Hatcher, Beukeboom, Tamer, and Leroux.  Keep in
mind Leroux blows, but he is like really, really tall.  That
would be one big group of defensemen.  Daigneault and Wilkinson
will likely be back as well, but Mironov and Joseph could go.  

Up front, Sandstrom's future may be in jeopardy thanks to yet
another playoff disappearing act.  He makes some serious cash and
could be cut loose in a cost-cutting maneuver.  Someone has to
score goals in the regular season, though, so Sandstrom should
stay if at all possible.  Miller could also go in order to save
some scratch.  LCS has heard hype that Smolinski may be sent
packing.  Apparently the club was less than thrilled with his
physical game.  Nedved is a restricted free agent, but he loves
it in Pittsburgh and has said that he wants to stay.  Look for
the Pens to wrap him up with a long-term deal.  

The goaltending situation is obviously screaming for a move to be
made.  However, Patrick has said in the past that he has no
intentions of moving either Barrasso or Wregget.  Patrick just
enjoys having two solid, veteran goaltenders so the position is
secure.  If one would get dealt, the Pens would have to scramble
to find a backup.  So it looks like they'll both be back next
year.  If one does go, it would certainly be Barrasso.


----------------------------------------------------------------                                                    
SAN JOSE SHARKS
----------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 20-55-7; 47 points. 
Finished: 7th in Pacific, 25th overall, missed playoffs.

Goals Scored: 252 (13th) 
Goals Allowed: 357 (26th) 
Power Play: 16.2% (19th) 
Penalty Killing: 76.6% (26th) 

SEASON RECAP by Mark Spiegel

     This time last season, the Sharks were one of only two teams
to have made it to the second round of the playoffs two years
in a row.  They were described as a "team on the rise" by
many in the league.  Now after a disastrous season that saw
the Sharks finish next to last, many people are claiming the
Sharks are "in a rebuilding mode."  Despite two consecutive
runs into the playoffs, things were, now in retrospect, clearly
not as good as they seemed.  And if emotions can color one's
vision to misjudge success, they can just as well color the
view of failure... things also aren't as bad as they seem. 
     But what the heck, let's review the season anyway.  After
all, you're most likely reading this on the beach, waiting for
your next margarita to arrive... okay, okay... Shark-arita! 
     This is a bit long so now before you forget, double check
your sunblock protection... to avoid unsightly burns and
skin-peeling, LCS recommends SPF 15 while reading your
issue of Sportif.  Anything less would be uncivilized... 

     The Sharks finished the season at 20-55-7, last in the
Pacific Division, and out of playoff contention at about the time
when we were all looking for those last-minute Christmas gifts. 
They did make a valiant effort over the last half of the season
to overtake Ottawa in the race for the number one pick in the
Entry Draft.  Along the way, they usually had little team
defense, nearly non-existent special teams, and had such poor
chemistry that two (now-ex) teammates, Craig Janney and Ray
Sheppard were nicknamed "carcinoma" and "melanoma", respectively. 
Did I mention the coach often didn't know what he was doing at
the NHL level?  Ha!  And you wondered why we're drinking.  
     The season started with the Sharks management saying fans
should expect better than just a run into the second round of the
playoffs.  Opening Night ceremonies boldly claimed fans should
expect nothing "less than the Stanley Cup."  Ok, no more
Sharkaritas for the management boys and girls, they had enough
during the off-season.  An off-season when the Sharks basically
sat on their hands, except for dumping aging winger Sergei
Makarov and signing enforcer Dave Brown.  This despite the fact
that the Sharks ended 1994-95 playing horrendous defense, giving
up over five goals per game in the usually defensive-minded
playoffs! 
     1995-96 started as 1994-95 ended, with the Sharks giving up
24 goals in their first four games.  Could things get any worse?
Yes, they could.  Igor Larionov, disheartened over the dismissal
of his long-time linemate Sergei Makarov, demanded to be traded
after being benched by Coach Constantine.  Igor and Constantine
had their disagreements almost from the start, in the past
Constantine had relented, but now emboldened with a new
three-year contract, the Head Coach ordered Larionov back to San
Jose while the team continued on their road trip.  The immediate
impact of this was to remove the last real team leader the Sharks
had.  Yeah sure, Odgers had a C on his jersey, Dahlen and Janney
wore A's, but none of the other players looked up to them like
they did Igor.  This left the Sharks leaderless for the season,
and with growing distrust of the coach, essentially rudderless.

     On the positive side, Igor Larionov's leaving now allows the
Sharks to restyle their game away from the finesse-type European
game Larionov and Makarov brought to the Sharks.  This would have
had to happen eventually.  As Igor and his Red Wing buddies
demonstrated in this year's playoffs, you just can't bring the
Cup home with that style. 
      All of this happened only six games into the season.  Many
have ridiculed the Sharks for pushing their young players too
much, but up until this big upheaval most the of the young Sharks
could hold their dorsal fins high.  After the first six games
rookies Marcus Ragnarsson and Shean Donovan had scored three
goals each, as did Pat Falloon.  New and improved winger Andrei
Nazarov had two goals after six games.  Sure, six games is a
relatively short span of games, but nonetheless, many of the
younger Sharks were delivering at the start.  With some team
defense, without the turmoil that erupted with Larionov's
departure, who knows what could have been. 

     With Larionov wanting out, Lombardi moved quickly obtaining
goal-scorer Ray Sheppard from the Red Wings.  The local media
was ecstatic.  "We got a goal scorer!"  They nicknamed Sheppard
"Red Light Ray," not knowing that "Red Light" is the standard
nickname for goalies made of Swiss cheese.  But Sheppard did not
fill the leadership void left by Larionov, and certainly didn't
contribute to the worsening team defense. 
     The Sharks completed three more trades trying to turn the
season around.  Sandis Ozolinsh was shipped off to Colorado for
power forward Owen Nolan.  This trade pretty much ended the
season for goalie Arturs Irbe, as he took personally the
departure of his fellow Latvian teammate Ozolinsh.  With Irbe
struggling and backup Wade Flaherty unreliable, the Sharks made
another trade, this time for Devils' backup goalie Chris Terreri. 
The Terreri trade was followed by a three-team deal involving the
Sharks, Flyers and Sabres.  The Sharks basically gave up Pat
Falloon, now a permanent resident of coach Constantine's
doghouse, and prospect Vaclav Varada for Sabre defenseman Doug
Bodger.  While Falloon could only ride the pine under
Constantine, Pat went on to have a good season on the Flyer
second line and power play.  Similarly, Ozolinsh, required to be
the all-around number one d-man under Constantine, found new life
in Colorado, where his offensive skills are exploited and his
defensive lapses are covered. 
     Despite the flurry of trades, the Sharks ship kept sinking,
managing only three wins.  By early December, after a 7-2
drubbing at the hands of the Canucks, GM Lombardi, unconvinced
that Constantine could turn things around, fired the head coach,
and replaced him with assistant coach Jim Wylie.  At first,
Wylie was projected to play only a temporary caretaker role,
but apparent internal upper management turmoil sidetracked any
further changes.  With players traded, a coach replaced, and no
change in the on-ice record, the grim reaper headed up the stairs
to check out the Sharks executive offices.  He found some juicy
pickings, but no Sharkaritas... they had since quit drinking
on the job.  Incensed, the grim-type dude took two swipes with
his trusty blade and away went team President Art Savage and
Director of Player Personnel Chuck Grillo, leaving Greg Jamison
and Lombardi in command. 
     During this time there wasn't much really worth happening on
the ice.  The Sharks got a few impressive wins here and there,
beating the Penguins, Avalanche and defending Cup champion
Devils.  I guess the highlight was Owen Nolan representing the
Sharks at the All-Star game, you know, under the category of
every team gets to send at least one warm body.  Yeah, it was
that bad. 
     With Lombardi totally in charge, and fresh from an East
Coast retreat, the Sharks ended the season dealing away Craig
Janney, Ray Sheppard, and Kevin Miller.  All three, ex-members of
several previous teams, had become poisoness to team chemistry. 
While Miller did try to contribute to team defense, Janney and
Sheppard were usually nowhere to be seen when the other team had
the puck.  The Sharks, with offensive stars like Janney, Sheppard
and Nolan, ended up leading the league in goals allowed, while
basically not scoring any better than the 1993-94 Sharks.  The
Sharks finished with the second worst record overall, didn't get
any serious offers for their second-overall pick, and chose
Russian defenseman Andrei Zyuzin in the Entry Draft, ending a
season that just about every Sharks fan would like to forget.

TEAM MVP:  My pick for the Sharks Team MVP goes to Chris
Terreri.  Terreri, picked up after 18 games into the season,
really came to the rescue and prevented a disaster from becoming
something unthinkable.  With Flaherty nearly useless and Irbe's
head off somewhere else, he brought the games down from five or
more goal loses to one or two goals.  Still loses but nothing
like the demoralizing whippings occurring before his arrival. 
Terreri had to adjust to severe culture shock, coming from a
strong defensive club like the Devils to the nearly defenseless
Sharks.  If Terreri had not been able to make the adjustment, the
Sharks would have had to again deal to get a goalie.  Not only
did Terreri adjust to the defense in front of him, but he played
in many more games, mostly consecutive, than he was ever used to
playing, or even physically built to be playing.  

SURPRISES:  Who went above and beyond expectations?  In my
humble opinion... the fans.  Despite a season so dismal it was
reminiscent of the 1992-93 debacle, the fans kept coming, and
coming, and coming, until at the season's end *ALL* games were
sellouts... or in the proper NHL-approved vernacular "all tickets
were issued."  Only the Rangers could match the Sharks
full-season sellout record.

Yeah, it helped that the Sharks sold about 14,000 season tickets,
and most of the remaining individual tickets even before the
season began.  Yeah, the number of empty seats at games grew
with the season.  But fans still kept coming and when there was
something to cheer about, like the big win over the Red Wings,
they were there in full force cheering like the Sharks were
back in the playoffs.  And after the final game, another
humiliating drubbing, this time by the Flames, most still
hung around afterward for the traditional end-of-season
speeches and frisbee flinging.  

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The big disappointment has to be the
Sharks team management.  That they could project "nothing but a
Stanley Cup" expectations seriously and not understand the team
they had, along with awarding new multi-year contracts to their
head coach and director of player personnel shortly before firing
both shows nearly complete lack of understanding of their
situation.  The two management team members left, Lombardi and
Jamison, have shown the least amount of fumbling and bumbling. 
Jamison has a sports background and appears to leave running the
hockey operations solely to Lombardi, sans meddling and
interference.  Lombardi has so far verbally identified past
management mistakes and appears to be heading in the right
direction.  Hopefully this year has just been a speed bump and
not a precipice.  


OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Sharks have already made
significant movements toward putting an improved team on the ice
next season.  First of all, they hired a new coach, Al Sims,
previously an assistant with the Ducks.  While you could count
the number of NHL games Kevin Constantine had been at, before
coaching the Sharks, on one hand, Sims played 10 seasons in the
NHL, followed by successful coaching assignments in the IHL and
NHL.  In one of his first moves, Sims lured ex-Bruins teammate
Wayne Cashman away from Tampa to be one of the assistant coaches.

Dealer Dean Lombardi has already made trades to bolster weak
areas on the team.  Third/fourth line center Jamie Baker was
traded to the Leafs for defenseman Todd Gill.  Gill brings
similar heart and more toughness than Baker, and the experience
of developing as a defenseman in a demanding hockey town,
experiences that Gill can use to help the young Sharks defenseman
evolve into solid NHLers.

With the competition the Sharks will face in the Pacific, most
notably a trio of dynamic duos in Mogilny/Bure, Kariya/Selanne,
Sakic/Forsberg, Baker was both too slow and too small to be an
effective checking line center against the above competition. 
The same can be said for Odgers.  Traded to the Bruins for Al
Iafrate, Odgers fell down on the job last year as team captain. 
Keeping Jeff around, after removing the C would have probably
made for a fair amount of acrimony.  Plus, if GM Lombardi really
wants to change the team attitude, and this is new coach Sims'
first priority, this removes two old Sharks and the historical
baggage they carry.

If Iafrate can play, the deal for him would be a monumental
steal.  Heck, if he at least gets back into the lineup for the
team skills competition, the Sharks will be nearly guaranteed to
win the slap shot competition at next year's All-Star game.

If Iafrate can play regularly, the d-men would be fairly set with
Iafrate, Gill and Bodger providing veteran leadership for the
young guys.  If not, Lombardi can be expected to pursue a third
new defenseman, maybe free agent Jeff Beukeboom from the Rangers.

At the forwards, something has to be done to address the lack of
a real first line center.  Somebody to center Friesen and Nolan.
With Nolan's inconsistency, the center should ideally be a strong
work-ethic type who'll nightly provide Owen with a jump-start.  A
few big and fast checking line forwards who enjoy dishing out
checks are also needed.  Of course that's easier said than done.
But if the Sharks are going to go very deep into the playoffs
they'll need two strong defensive forwards, preferably big enough
to wear down and intimidate the opposition.
        
Goaltending is a bit tricky.  Terreri can function as a reliable
backup, but is Irbe a reliable first line goaltender?  Arturs
finished the season fairly well, but I don't know if that is 
enough to risk your next season on.  The trouble is what do
the  Sharks give up to get both a first line center and a 
top-notch starting goalie.  They've got the money, but not much
they can trade without creating holes elsewhere.  If Irbe can
play well under a 50/50 or 60/40 time split with Terreri, then
maybe I'm willing to go with the two of them, bolstered by
a much improved team defense.  
 
        

---------------------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS BLUES
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 32-34-16; 80 points.
Finished: 4th in Central, 14th overall, lost in Western
Conference Semifinals to Detroit Red Wings 4-3.

Goals Scored: 219 (24th) 
Goals Allowed: 248 (tied 11th) 
Power Play: 16.5% (18th) 
Penalty Killing: 83.0% (10th)

SEASON RECAP by Joe Ashkar

     It was one of the most tumulteous seasons in team history
but why should we be surprised when Mike Keenan is at the helm of
the St. Louis Blues, the unofficial renegade team of the National
Hockey League. It was never boring as Keenan processed a
league-high 20 trades involving 28 players, prospects and 
draft picks. Too bad the end result was all too familiar to Blues
fans as their bluenote have now failed to advance past the second
round for an entire decade. 
     The shuffling started in the off-season. Keenan went on a
shopping spree signing free agents Geoff Courtnall, Dale
Hawerchuk, Shayne Corson, Brian Noonan and Grant Fuhr to provide
more depth and veteran leadership to the team. The fans vastly
approved these moves and applauded Keenan for trying to make the
team better. 
     A week later, when faced by budget constraints set by the
Kiel Center Partners who own the team, Keenan had to cut down on
salaries. It was the perfect opportunity for him to get rid of
fan favorites Brendan Shanahan, Curtis Joseph and Steve Duchesne.
Keenan apparently did not get along too well with Shanahan whom
he quickly shipped to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for
promising young defenseman Chris Pronger. Joseph could not come
to terms with Keenan to agree on a new contract, thus he was sent
to the Edmonton Oilers to re-acquire two first-round draft picks
used for signing restricted free agent Shayne Corson. Duchesne
was simply a large salary dump for a mere second-round pick. The
departure of the three stars sent the fans into an outrage as
Keenan was loudly booed when introduced on opening night at Kiel
Center. 
     Things did not get better for Keenan and the Blues during
the regular season as his team floated around the .500 mark all
season long, finishing two games below .500 after 82 games.
During that span, there were plenty of fireworks between 
the coach, the players and various members of the media. Keenan
stripped Brett Hull of his captaincy in favor of newly-acquired
forward Shayne Corson and no player escaped the cynical coach's
criticism. The lone bright note in a mostly mediocre regular
season was the signing of Wayne Gretzky. 
     Keenan and the Blues regained the fans trust and respect
with the Great One in the lineup. Roaring sellout crowds of over
20,000 packed up Kiel Center for the remainder of the season.
With the crowd back behind the team, the seasoned veteran Blues
lineup turned up the heat in the playoffs and gave the fans a
memorable run by playing their best hockey of the season. They
raked the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round
despite losing their MVP goaltender Grant Fuhr to a cheap shot 
by Leafs forward Nick Kypreos. Jon Casey replaced the injured
Fuhr and filled in admirably. 
     Hull, Gretzky and Co. took the high-flying Detroit Red
Wings, who finished 51 points ahead of them in regular season
standings, to the brink of elimination in an exciting and
memorable Game Seven double-overtime thriller. The Blues came 
within one shot of making it to the final four. 
     After their exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blues
now face many questions in this upcoming offseason but none more
important than the re-signing of Wayne Gretzky. The Blues traded
three prospects and two draft picks in acquiring the Great One
but they might have nothing to show for it since Gretzky has 
become an unrestricted free agent on June 30th and hinted that he
would like to play elsewhere. Gretzky was initially offered a
3-year, $21-million deal but it was later taken off the table by
the Blues when he did not sign it within a certain time frame.
Rumors have it that the Blues were less than impressed by
Gretzky's performance after a Game Two loss during the Detroit 
series. In the last days of negociations, Gretzky and his agent
Mike Barnett rejected a 2-year, $15-million offer by the Blues
with rumors citing that he no longer wanted to play for Keenan.

     It sure should be an interesting off-season. On to the team
MVP, surprises, disappointments and report card. 

TEAM MVP: There's no question about who this year's team
MVP is. Blues goalie Grant Fuhr proved everybody who claimed that
was a finished player wrong with a great comeback season, one of
his best as a player as well. Fuhr set the record for most
consecutive games with 76 consecutive starts before an injury
forced him out of the lineup. He was a finalist for the Masterton
Trophy, which he should have won.

SURPRISES:  Unlike previous years, there were very few
surprises with the Blues this season....in terms of player
performances of course. Grant Fuhr was one of them as explained
above. The other big surprise was the consistency of Murray 
Baron. Baron kept getting better and better each game and
seldomly had an off night. "Bear" worked really hard all season
long to become the second-best defenseman on the team.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Veteran and high-priced free agents are
supposed to perform on a veteran team but that was not really the
case for Geoff Courtnall, Brian Noonan, Dale Hawerchuk, Adam
Creighton, Jay Wells and Yuri Khmylev. All of them played below
expections and failed to contribute to the team in a way they 
normally could. Courtnall had a mere 24 goals and 16 assists to
warrant his $2.2-million salary. Noonan and Creighton combined
for only 24 goals. Each one of them tallies over a million in
salary.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Blues' first priority was to sign
Wayne Gretzky but it looks more and more like the Great One will
be playing elsewhere next season. The Blues would like to add a
little more offense to the team and maybe one good solid
defenseman. Among the free agents the Blues are interested in you 
can name defenseman Jeff Beukeboom of the New York Rangers and
Chicago Blackhawks forward Joe Murphy.

The Blues are also expecting to re-sign free agents Stephane
Matteau, Peter Zezel, Mike Hudson and Steve Leach. On the other
hand, Glenn Anderson, Charlie Huddy, Jay Wells, Basil McRae, Greg
Gilbert and Bruce Racine will most likely not be back with the
team at the start of training camp.

REPORT CARD

     The grades below are cumulative for both the regular season
and the playoffs, weighted a little heavier on post-season
performance.

Grant Fuhr -- A+: Fuhr was the lone hint of consistency
throughout a turmoil-filled season. He had a stellar MVP-caliber
year. There's no telling how far the Blues could have gone into
the playoffs had he not been injured.

Murray Baron -- A: Bear had a very solid season defensively, he
seemed to improve througout the season making nearly no costly
mistakes. He developed into an excellent stay-at-home defenseman
who took his game to another level in the post-season. Also,
Baron did not miss a game all season long.

Shayne Corson -- A-: Corson had a so-so regular season in which
he gave out his best night-in and night-out. In the playoffs,
Corson lead the team with eight goals in 13 games and was
generally the Blues best forward on the ice.

Al MacInnis -- A-: The veteran all-star defenseman had another
solid season at the blue line. He was one of only two players who
appreared in every single game in both the regular season and the
playoffs. Even though his scoring dropped from his previous
years, MacInnis still had 14 goals to go along 44 assists for 61
points. His leadership qualities helped in the maturity and
development of Baron's play.

Jon Casey -- A-: Casey played most of the regular season in the
International Hockey League in Peoria but when he was recalled to
the big club. He was very solid in a limited backup role for
Fuhr. When Fuhr was injured in the playoffs, Casey filled in for
his teammate admirably to carry the Blues past the first round
and take Detroit to the limit in the second. Casey's stellar
goaltending earned him a new contract with the Blues.

Chris Pronger -- B+: Pronger was cruising to earn a C based on
the regular season but the 21-year-old matured giganticly in the
last games of season and into the playoffs. After enduring a lot
of abuse and booing by the fans, Pronger stepped into his own and
showed many flashes of brilliance in the playoffs to justify why
some people think he might have Larry Robinson-type potential.

Steve Leach -- B: A late season acquisition for virtually
nothing, Leach played his checking role to perfection while
adding some unexpected scoring.

Peter Zezel -- B: Just like Leach, Zezel played his checking role
on the team very well while adding a lot of grit defensively. His
ability to win crucial faceoffs during crunch time was a definite
plus for the Blues in the playoffs.

Tony Twist -- B: The Twister became a fan favorite by keeping
order on the rink. When players were willing to take on the
Twister, they were usually pummeled down to the ice. Tony needs a
little more ice time to contribute a little more offensively.

Wayne Gretzky -- B-: The Great One had an immediate impact on the
Blues in terms of attendance but was rather ordinary on the ice
in comparison to his old self. He set a Blues record with nine
assists and nine points in a series while leading his team with
16 post-season points.

Igor Kravchuk -- B-: Kravchuk did a decent job in the regular
season but like Baron and Pronger, he vastly improved his game in
the playoffs at both ends of the ice. Kravchuk has an overtime
goal and five assists in 10 post-season games.

Brett Hull -- C+: Hullie was hampered with injuries most of the
season and in the playoffs. He failed to score 50 goals in a full
season for the first time since 1988-89. He had little impact on
the team in the playoffs averaging less than a point per game,
far below his playoff averages.

Craig MacTavish -- C+: MacTavish played well in tight-checking
low scoring games. He was nearly perfect on faceoffs and played
solidly when the game was on the line. He needed to contribute a
little more offensively.

Adam Creighton -- C: Creighton played well at time but could not
provide any consistency. His one goal and one assist along with a
-4 rating did not help matters in the playoffs.

Stephane Matteau -- C: See Adam Creighton. Matteau hasn't scored
a playoff goal since his memorable double-overtime winner with
the New York Rangers in 1994.

Brian Noonan -- C: Noonan needs to contribute more than 13 goals
during the regular season. His -5 rating in the playoffs was
worst on the team.

Charlie Huddy -- C-: Huddy joined the Blues late in the season
and performed his limited role nicely. He seemed to have made a
good influence on Pronger's play, especially when the two teamed
up on defense.

Geoff Courtnall -- D: Courtnall was snake bit all season long but
that's no excuse for a $2.2-million left winger to score only 24
goals in the regular season and none in the playoffs.

Glenn Anderson -- D: Other than an overtime winner in the
playoffs, Anderson did very little to help the Blues.

Yuri Khmylev -- D: Yuri who? You mean he played for the Blues...
because I did not notice him.

Jay Wells - D-: Wells was supposed to provide some additional
toughness and leadership on defense which were mostly
non-existent.

Mike Hudson, Bruce Racine, Ken Sutton, Basil McRae, Greg Gilbert,
Rob Pearon and Christer Olsson -- Incomplete: These players above
were either injured most of the regular season and the playoffs
or did no get enough playing time to earn a grade.



---------------------------------------------------------------
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 38-32-12; 88 points. 
Finished: 5th in Atlantic, 11th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Quarterfinals to Philadelphia Flyers 4-2.

Goals Scored: 238 (18th) 
Goals Allowed: 248 (tied 11th) 
Power Play: 20.6% (4th) 
Penalty Killing: 84.4% (5th) 

SEASON RECAP by Michael Dell

     The men with lightning bolts on their pants shocked the
world in 1995-96 by making the playoffs for the first time in
franchise history.   
     Tampa Bay took advantage of the post-Stanley Cup struggles
of the New Jersey Devils to edge the defending champs for the
final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  Their reward was a
first-round meeting with a powerful Philadelphia Flyer squad. 
The Bolts gave it a good go, often out-playing Philly and even
taking a 2-1 series lead, but just couldn't keep up with the
bigger, more talented Flyers.  Despite the loss, the playoff
appearance injected the Tampa area with playoff fever... and I
think we all know how painful that can be.  Hockey-crazed Tampa
residents are already counting the days until the Lightning open
up the 1996-97 season at their new arena, the Ice Palace, in
early October. 
     This year's version of the club was very similar to past
models, a low-scoring team that relied on a defense-first system
and the goaltending of Daren Puppa to keep games close.  The
modest Lightning attack, which finished eighteenth in goals
scored, was once again paced by Brian Bradley.  The crafty
center-ice man has led the Bolts in scoring in each of the team's
first four seasons, keeping the string alive with a 23-goal, 79-
point performance in 76 games played. 
     The offense got a major shot in the arm from two LCS
heroes, Alexander Selivanov and Johnny Cullen.  When the
Lightning coaching staff decided to team up the two greats of the
game on the same line, it was a dream come true for us here at
LCS.  The two legends in their own time responded with sterling
performances.  Selivanov, or "Knuckles" as he's known to his
friends, led the team in goals (31), finished third in points
(52), and tied for the team lead in power-play goals (13) and
game-winning goals (5).  For his part, Cullen brought with him
the leadership and skill that only he can bring to a club while
finishing fifth in team scoring with 16 goals and 50 points.  The
two personifications of hockey greatness were also among the
handful of Lightning players that finished with a positive
plus/minus rating.  The world of dynamic scoring duos has a new
set of rulers... and their names are Selivanov and Cullen!  
     Petr Klima (22-30-52) chipped in with his usual offense,
while also having his traditional bouts with motivational
problems.  Brian Bellows (23-26-49) added experience and a
scoring touch on the power play, where he tied Selivanov for the
team lead in man-advantage goals with 13.  Chris Gratton (17-21-
38) set a new career high in goals, but still struggled mightily
throughout the year.  Gritty, gutty Rob Zamuner (15-20-35) led
the team in short-handed goals (3) and almost garnered a Selke
Trophy nomination for his inspiring work in the defensive end,
leading the club with a +11.  Shawn Burr (13-15-28) supplied a
strong defensive game and his fair share of big hits.  Meanwhile,
Captain Paul Ysebaert became the first man in team history to
where the 'C' on his sweater.  When healthy, Ysebaert not only
set an example with his solid work ethic but also rang up 16
goals and 31 points in 55 games.  Mikael Andersson (8-11-19),
Jason Weimer (9-9-18), Patrick Poulin (7-9-16), and rookie Aaron
Gavey (8-4-12) also saw plenty of action up front. 
     The defense was led by the mercurial talent that is Roman
Hamrlik.  The 22-year-old Czech defender had another excellent
year on the scoresheets, finishing ninth among NHL defensemen in
scoring with 16 goals and 65 points.  He appears to be a
perennial All-Star in the making.  That is if he can keep his
head in the game.  Hamrlik was scratched for one game during the
postseason by Coach Terry Crisp because of his indifferent play
against the Flyers.  For the Lightning to be successful, Hamrlik
has to be one of the top players on the ice.  He has the ability
to control games with his powerful skating and remarkable
offensive instincts, now he just needs to find a way to do so on
a regular basis. 
     Michel Petit made an impact on the club after his arrival
midway through the season in a trade with Los Angeles.  The 13-
year veteran added toughness and experience to a rather young
group of Lightning defenders.  Speaking of young defenders, 25-
year-old Cory Cross began to make his mark this season.  The 6'5"
blueliner showed he has what it takes to play at the NHL level
this season after being selected by Tampa in the 1992
supplemental draft.  Igor Ulanov also appears to have found a
home with the Lightning.  The 26-year-old Russian got a new lease
on life when he was acquired from the Blackhawks at the trade
deadline.  During the last few weeks of the regular season and
the playoffs, Ulanov fired up Lightning fans with is physical
play and booming checks.  He should get every chance to stick
with the club next season after being bounced around the league
the past few seasons.  
     In net, the Lightning were rock solid with Daren Puppa. 
Despite suffering a knee injury and having an ailing back, Puppa
was honored with a Vezina Trophy nomination for his efforts this
season.  Puppa appeared in 57 games for Tampa, posting a 2.47
goals-against average, a .918 save percentage, 29 wins, and five
big shutouts.  When Puppa was on the shelf, the Lightning simply
weren't a playoff team. 
     The biggest difference this season for the Lightning, and
the one aspect of their game that led to their playoff berth, was
the power play.  Tampa has always struggled with the man
advantage and finished twenty-second in the league last year,
clicking at a pitiful 14.1%.  This season the Bolts used the
power-play to separate them from the pack, converting on 20.6% of
their chances, good for the fourth best mark in the league. 
Having natural scorers like Selivanov, Cullen, Bellows, and
Bradley up front was a definite help, but the thing that really
made the power play hum was having Klima back at the point with
Hamrlik.  Klima's big shot from the point found the net eight
times and it created numerous chances for his partners down low. 
His presence also prevented teams from concentrating too heavily
on Hamrlik, freeing up the talented young blueliner to run the
power play. 
     Coach Terry Crisp deserves a tremendous amount of credit for
keeping this rather average unit together and believing in
themselves all season long.  He was rewarded with a Jack Adams
Trophy nomination and his first trip to the playoffs in four
years behind the Lightning bench. 

TEAM MVP:  Without Daren Puppa's goaltending heroics, the
Lightning would still be wondering what the playoffs are really
like.  With Puppa not at full strength in the postseason, thanks
to a back injury, the Bolts were now match for the Flyers.  Puppa
is the rock on which this team is built.

SURPRISES:  When he was signed during the off-season, few
people other than the staff here at LCS thought Johnny Cullen
could make a difference for the Lightning.  Cullen showed up to
training camp on a mission to earn some respect after being cut
loose by the Penguins a few months earlier.  Instead of the
flashy passer and stickhandler he was always known as, Cullen
stepped up his physical and defensive games and became a gritty,
character-type guy for the Lightning.  His determination and work
ethic rubbed off on the rest of the club and served as an
inspiration all season long.  

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The only real disappointment in Tampa
was that there could only be one Johnny Cullen.  If only
scientists could find a way to sample Cullen's DNA and create an
army of Cullen clones, the world would surely be a better place.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The Lightning are actually building
quite a nice team.  They have a little bit of skill at each of
the three positions, have a surplus of character role players,
and have some good young talent on the way with the likes of Drew
Bannister, Jason Weimer, Aaron Gavey, and Daymond Langkow.  More
scoring is still needed up front, so look for that wacky Phil
Esposito to try and make some moves this summer to address that
concern.  


                         
---------------------------------------------------------------
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 34-36-12; 80 points.
Finished: 3rd in Central, 13th overall, lost in Western
Conference Quarterfinals to St. Louis Blues 4-2.

Goals Scored: 247 (tied 14th) 
Goals Allowed: 252 (14th) 
Power Play: 18.9% (9th) 
Penalty Killing: 82.6% (11th) 

SEASON RECAP by Brad Ross


     To say the 1995-96 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs was a
major disappointment would be, well, a major understatement.  The
firing of head coach Pat Burns on March 5 was tell-tale sign of
the season that wasn't. 
     The reacquisition of fan-favourite Wendel Clark by a
desperate general manager to turn things around in Toronto was
the ultimate sign that Cliff Fletcher's club was simply getting
older, not better.  In acquiring Clark from the New York
Islanders, the Leafs gave up a solid young blueliner in Kenny
Jonsson.  And it is here, on defence, where the Buds showed just
how much work they have to do if they ever hope to parade the
Stanley Cup in what is now the NHL's oldest rink. 
     Toronto did manage to snag Mathieu Schneider along with
Clark to help boost things back on the blue line.  But one man
does a defence not make.  Jamie Macoun, Todd Gill, Dimitri
Yushkevich and an eerily disappointing Larry Murphy is a veteran
core to be sure -- but that's it. 
     Fletcher, last week, traded Gill to San Jose in exchange for
forward Jamie Baker.  This deal was supposed to go down at the
trading deadline, so it comes as no surprise.  The longest
serving Leaf, Gill was openly critical of his mates during their
first-round playoff defeat against St. Louis.  In making this
deal, Fletcher dumped a salary and someone who had become not so
well-liked in the dressing room. 

TEAM MVP:  As Alanis Morrisette so aptly put it, "Isn't it
ironic..."  Toronto traded away Mike Gartner to Phoenix during
the entry draft in exchange for some draft picks.  They also
dumped a salary... something the now cost-conscious Leafs needed
to do with Steve Stavro now in complete control of the club.

No doubt Gartner is old -- 36 to be exact.  Yet he needs
consideration as the club's MVP for 1995-96.  Despite his age,
Gartner is still the fastest skater in the NHL and once again he
potted 30 or more goals in a season.  The lockout-shortened
season was the only one in which Gartner did not score 30.

Gartner also showed a tremendous amount of character.  Always
hard working, yet rarely physical, Gartner surprised many when he
was third man in during a game with Buffalo where his mate Ken
Baumgartner was levelled then jumped by a Sabre goon whose name
escapes me.

He'll be missed by all -- always willing to talk to the media...
always conscious of others.  Both he and Dave Gagner were
dispatched at the draft; both in their 30s; both ageing.  A move
that had to be made, yet Mike Gartner once again proved that
professional hockey players are first class athletes as a rule. 
Solid hockey skills and solid character does a MVP make in Mike
Gartner.

SURPRISES:  Perhaps more surprising then the firing of Pat
Burns and the reacquisition of Wendel Clark, was how dismal the
Leafs played early in the new year.  They went nine games without
a win before Burns was sacked.  Toronto was becoming perilously
close to not making the playoffs -- something Toronto fans would
never accept.  Burns' firing was just a matter of time.  If you
predicted at the season's outset that Burns would be gone, howls
of laughter would have reverberated around the city.

Getting Clark back was a sign of just how desperate GM Cliff
Fletcher was.  Clark was perceived as a spark; someone who could
turn the Leafs' misfortunes around in the spring classic.  It's
no surprise he couldn't.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave
Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk. 
Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave
Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk. 
Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave Andreychuk.  Dave
Andreychuk.

'Nuff said.  See ya later... now go away and disappoint New
Jersey fans please.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  According to the June 25 edition of
the Toronto Star, Mike Murphy will be named the Leafs' new head
coach before the end of the week.  The 44-year-old Murphy has
been an assistant with the New York Rangers for the past two
seasons.  He was an assistant coach in Toronto for three years
before that.

When Pat Burns was fired March 5, scouting director Nick Beverley
stepped in for the interim.  Fletcher maintained he would hire a
permanent replacement in the off-season.

Names that had been bandied about included Colorado coach Marc
Crawford.  Crawford got his start with the St. John's Maple Leafs
of the AHL before being hired as head coach by the then Quebec
Nordiques.  Whether Crawford can escape for the year left on his
Avalanche contract remains questionable and unlikely.  Crawford,
it is rumoured, does not get along with GM Pierre Lacroix and
would love dearly to rejoin the Leafs.

In short, the Leafs will be trimming salaries to save money. 
They recently announced a 9.9 per cent hike in ticket prices and
now the likelihood that the Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors
will share a facility looms on the horizon.


---------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 32-35-15; 79 points.
Finished: 3rd in Pacific, 16th overall, lost in Western
COnference Quarterfinals to Colorado Avalanche 4-2.

Goals Scored: 278 (6th) 
Goals Allowed: 278 (18th) 
Power Play: 16.8% (17th) 
Penalty Killing: 81.3% (15th) 

SEASON RECAP by Carol Schram

     1995-96 was a season of high expectations for the Vancouver
Canucks.  The team was just one lockout-shortened campaign
removed from its storybook run to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup
Finals.  The Canucks were moving downtown to shiny new GM Place. 
And boyhood pals Pavel Bure and Alex Mogilny were set to light up
the scoreboard together for the first time since their days with
Central Red Army. 
     Somewhere along the way, though, something went terribly
wrong.  The first hints showed up during the preseason, where the
team put together a respectable record, but the much anticipated
Bure-Mogilny-Mike Ridley line failed to click immediately.  Plus,
Pavel lost his cool in the last exhibition game against Calgary
and injured his hand while administering death punches to the
helmet of pesky Ronnie Stern.  Bure is traditionally a slow
starter; this little setback just seemed to frustrate him
further. 
     With the addition of Mogilny's offensive firepower, the
Canucks were determined to bring an exciting brand of run-and-gun
hockey into their new digs, and fans saw scoring a-plenty.  After
the first three games of the regular season, the Canucks led the
league -- in goals against.  Despite all the optimism over the
summer, suddenly the Canucks' defensive commitment and mental
toughness were being questioned.  It would be that way all year
long. 
     In a year filled with lowlights, the fun began between
periods of the Canucks' October 25th road game against New
Jersey, when a benched Jeff Brown began griping on the radio
about coach Rick Ley's decision to sit him out for two games and
question his dedication to the game and the team.  This incident,
in essence, led to the removal of both Brown and Ley.  Just
before Christmas, Brown, one of the league's superior power-play
talents, was shipped off to Hartford for "a bag of pucks".  And
while a local TV station had Rick Ley fired and outta here at the
end of November, the axe didn't actually fall until March 28th. 
With just six games left in the regular season, Pat Quinn stepped
back behind the bench and guided the team to a decidedly average
3-3-0 record down the stretch and their first opening-round
playoff defeat since 1991. 
     The next big blow came early in November, when superstar
Pavel Bure was checked from behind by Chicago's Steve Smith in
the first period at the United Center.  Bure slid awkwardly into
the boards and completely tore the ACL in his right knee. 
Surgery and a rigorous rehabilitation process were not enough to
get the Russian Rocket back in the lineup in time to help the
Canucks escape playoff disaster.  Bure's knee is now reported to
be 100%, and he is expected to play for the Russian team in the
World Cup of Hockey at the end of the summer. 
     The Canucks got on track for awhile after Christmas and
impressed while Kirk McLean was recovering from knee surgery,
even dishing out a rare home loss to league-leading Detroit.  But
the wheels came off the wagon again in March, starting with a
devastating 9-0 loss to the offensively-impaired Washington
Capitals and even including a shutout loss to the mighty Ottawa
Senators.  The Canucks didn't win three games in a row all year,
and while attendance was great all season long, the team's home
record was particularly brutal. 
     The Vancouver Canucks suffered a lot of adversity this
season.  The injury bug bit hard and the team was affected over
and over by distractions beyond its control.  But even this
season was not without its pleasant surprises.  They may have
stunk it up at home, but somehow the Canucks managed to string
together one of the best road records in the league.  Martin
Gelinas finally emerged from the shadow of the 1988 Wayne Gretzky
trade to score 30 goals and earn recognition as one of the
Canucks' true "good guys".  Jyrki Lumme scored a career-high 17
goals as he settled back into his role as power-play anchor after
Brown's departure.  The much-hated Esa Tikkanen became a guilty
pleasure to watch as he boosted team morale and pestered Peter
Forsberg throughout the first round of the playoffs.  And those
who questioned the character of Alex Mogilny when he came here
from Buffalo were silenced by his impressive 55-goal season and
his gutsy, dare-I-say physical, performance against Colorado.  No
matter what the knocks on him in the past, Mogilny picked up a
second All-Star team selection this year and proved to fans in
Vancouver that, even without Bure, he is indeed the real deal. 

TEAM MVP:  Trevor Linden.  Linden's name surfaces
constantly in Canucks' trade rumors, but it's my guess that's
mostly because other teams would love to have a guy like our
captain on their squads.  A career Canuck and rare Vancouver
first-round success story, Linden continues to improve with each
passing season.  After a somewhat acrimonious contract
negotiation last summer, Linden posted career numbers of 33 goals
and 47 assists during the 1995-96 campaign.  He plays a
well-rounded game and centered the Canucks' most consistent line
with Martin Gelinas and Russ Courtnall for much of the season.

Trevor Linden is sometimes criticized for not being a vocal
leader on the ice and in the dressing room, but like many NHL
greats, he often chooses to lead by example.  Blessed with solid
but not superlative skills, he gets many of his points on effort
and will alone.  Linden plays center and wing with ease and is
the team's best face-off man.  He is a key component on the power
play and the penalty kill, and his effort game in and game out is
captured by his status as NHL Ironman as he closes in on 500
consecutive games played.  Linden is also known for his
discipline, and while he does not use his body as much as some
would like, his restraint in tough situations on the ice is to be
admired.

Trevor has also made a name for himself in the local and NHL
communities.  It is sometimes considered a conflict of interest
for a team captain to also be the team's representative to the
Players' Association, but Linden has worn these two hats
successfully for several years now.  He was actively involved
with the players during past labor strife, and has recently been
named a Vice President of the NHL Players' Association.  Linden
also remains active with Orca Bay community events like the
Greater Vancouver Open and purchased a luxury box for use by
underprivileged children for a number of Canucks games this year.

Trevor Linden was also named the Canucks Most Valuable Player in
fan voting at the end of the regular season.  He is a character
player and an admirable man who continues to grow into his role
with each passing year.  In the face of all the adversity
suffered by the Canucks this season, he was undoubtedly the glue
that held the squad together and, as always, he stepped it up
another notch in the playoffs.  

SURPRISES:  Corey Hirsch.  A patented Pat Quinn steal,
Corey Hirsch was a relatively known quantity when he was acquired
from the New York Rangers organization at the 1995 trade deadline
for journeyman forward Nathan LaFayette.  Although Hirsch had yet
to play an NHL game, he had won a Memorial Cup in Junior with the
Kamloops Blazers and is immortalized in hockey history for
allowing Peter Forsberg's Gold medal shootout goal in the 1994
Lillehammer Olympics, while Canada settled for Silver.  

Despite the Canucks' relative stability in net at the time, when
Rangers' GM Neil Smith called to inquire about LaFayette, Quinn
suggested Hirsch as possible compensation, and a deal was struck. 
The trade began to pay dividends at this year's training camp, as
Hirsch beat out overpaid incumbent Kay Whitmore and farmhand Mike
Fountain for the backup job on the big squad.

Hirsch performed adequately through the first half of the season
in his relief role, but really came into his own when Kirk McLean
was sidelined in January for knee surgery.  Hirsch played 19
consecutive games while McLean recovered, going 9-6-4 and
recording a goals-against average below 2.80.  By the time the
season was out, he had appeared in 41 games, with a record of
17-14-6, a GAA of 2.93, and a .903 save percentage, good enough
to earn the goaltender's spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team.

As if his impressive regular season wasn't enough, Hirsch's
chance to shine in the playoffs came just 22 minutes into the
Canucks' first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.  1994
Conn Smythe candidate Kirk McLean managed to surrender three
goals on just twelve shots, including two in the first two
minutes of the second period.  That led to a relief appearance
from Hirsch, who held his spot until the Canucks' elimination at
the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup Champions six games later. 
While Hirsch's heroics were not enough to lead the Canucks to
victory and he did waffle Joe Sakic's soft overtime goal in Game
Five, his performance was solid enough to give Canucks fans hope
for next season if long-time favorite Kirk McLean doesn't bounce
back from his sub-par season.


DISAPPOINTMENTS:  The single biggest disappointment of the
season was the Canucks organization's lack of decisiveness when
dealing with major issues.  The sting is particularly bitter
after watching Pierre Lacroix's Colorado Avalanche hoist the
Stanley Cup.  

After losing Uwe Krupp to a knee injury during the first game of
the season, Lacroix wasted little time in giving up first-overall
draft choice Owen Nolan to fill his team's void on the blue line
with offensively-talented, but sometimes scary, Sandis Ozolinsh. 
The trade was visibly, obviously justified as Ozolinsh
contributed significant offense throughout the playoffs, and
especially as he fearlessly rushed the net again and again during
the triple-overtime 1-0 game that won Colorado the Stanley Cup. 
Lacroix was also quick to pull the trigger when Patrick Roy
suddenly became available from Montreal.  The rivalry in the
province of Quebec would have prevented this trade from ever
happening if the Avalanche had still been playing in Quebec City,
but again, Lacroix acted swiftly and decisively to acquire the
proven playoff goaltender he thought his team needed.  He gave up
another young first round draft choice, Jocelyn Thibault, along
with blossoming talents Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko, but
there's no denying that both Roy and Mike Keane were critical
components of the squad that took home the silverware.

Perhaps to a team with a less impressive record off the trade
tables, these deals would look more innocuous.  But Pat Quinn has
spoiled Canucks' fans ever since he assumed the GM position in
the summer of 1987 and made his first deal -- Patrik Sundstrom
and a fourth-round draft choice for two young players -- Greg
Adams and Kirk McLean.  Adams, of course, has since been parlayed
into Russ Courtnall.  

The trade deadline was Quinn's particular moment to shine,
particularly in deals with the St. Louis Blues.  In 1991, the
Blues were convinced they were one physical defenseman away from
the Cup.  Quinn traded Garth Butcher and Dan Quinn to the Blues
for Cliff Ronning, Geoff Courtnall, Sergio Momesso, Robert Dirk
and St. Louis' fifth-round draft choice -- promising farmhand
Brian Loney.  This was one year after Quinn traded Rich Sutter,
Harold Snepts, and a second-round draft choice for Adrien
Plavsic, a first-round draft choice who turned into Shawn
Antoski, and a second-round draft choice that was traded to
Montreal for Jyrki Lumme.

Just last season, Quinn proved he could also work his trade magic
on draft day when he acquired Alex Mogilny from Buffalo for Mike
Peca, Mike Wilson and a first-round draft choice (Jay McKee). 
But this season, the touch just didn't seem to be there.  There
were rumors that we could get Kevin Hatcher for Roman Oksiuta,
but instead we got Mike Sillinger.  Jesse Belanger for futures
wasn't giving up much, but Belanger sat through most of the
playoffs.  And the grousing still hasn't stopped about the trade
that was, essentially, Jeff Brown for Frank Kucera and Jim Dowd. 
In that case the Canucks were dealing from a position of
weakness, but there still used to be a way to work those
situations to our advantage.  

A better example of what we expect from Pat Quinn is when he
spends the whole season sitting on Alek Stojanov, a guy who wore
out his welcome when he reported to training camp overweight and
out of shape.  Quinn was patient, gave him ice time, let him make
a bit of a name for himself as a punching bag, then shipped him
off to Pittsburgh at the deadline when the Pens thought they
needed to get tougher for the playoffs.  The Canucks picked up
enigmatic Swede Markus Naslund, a 22-year-old who still looks to
be discovering his NHL potential.  Meanwhile, did Stojanov even
play for Pittsburgh after that ugly altercation with Washington
in first round?

Even the trades that worked out for Quinn were fraught with
trouble this year.  Watching Esa Tikkanen drape himself all over
Peter Forsberg during the playoffs, it was easy to forget that we
spent over a month on pins and needles, wondering if Tikk was
going to report, then wondering if his wonky knee would ever
allow him to play another NHL game.  After some maintenance this
summer, Tikkanen is expected back in the fall and is looking like
a steal for a second-round draft choice.  

The Kay Whitmore for Joey Kocur deal is more remarkable in the
fact that the Canucks got another team to take on Whitmore's
$600,000 one-way contract than in the contribution we got on-ice
from Kocur, although he has been offered a new deal for next
year.  And Quinn's signing of free-agent Glenn Anderson seemed
like a good idea at the time -- too bad he had to clear waivers
and was picked up by the evil Glen Sather, then dealt back to St.
Louis before the end of the year.  Oh well, who needs 'em,
anyhow??

I could go on and on, and we could blame injuries and the forces
of nature, but it was clear, early on, that the team's chemistry
this year just wasn't right.  Pat Quinn's loyalty to his friend
Rick Ley prevented him from moving decisively on the coaching
issue and perhaps salvaging the season.  Pavel Bure's offense and
sparkle was not replaced when he went down with his injury, and
the loss of Jeff Brown, even a half-hearted Jeff Brown, was felt
on the power play all season long and into the playoffs.  

When faced with adversity or opportunity, Pierre Lacroix moved
quickly and effectively and has a Stanley Cup to show for his
troubles.  Patrick Roy, Mike Keane, and Sandis Ozolinsh are not
the pieces of the puzzle that the Canucks were after this year,
but they are symbols of how effective team-building really does
begin at the top.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  It looks like the Canucks have taken
a big step towards repairing their problem with team chemistry by
hiring new head coach Tom Renney from Canada's national team.  A
B.C. native, Renney has been a winner at every level he's
coached, and he brings an intelligent approach to the game of
hockey.  Renney's vast experience with junior and international
hockey should also help the Canucks scouting staff in the future.

Renney was coveted by several NHL teams after leading a motley
collection of Canadians to an unexpected Silver Medal at this
spring's World Hockey Championships.  Renney also coached the
1994 Silver Medal Olympic team, which included Corey Hirsch, and
he won Gold at the 1994 World Championships.  Renney's first
major head coaching job was with the Kamloops Blazers starting in
1990;  it took him just two years to win Canadian Junior Hockey's
highest honor, the Memorial Cup.  Incidentally, Corey Hirsch was
also a member of that squad.

While Pat Quinn had not made a final decision about whether or
not he wanted to coach the Canucks next season, the Maple Leafs'
hot pursuit of Renney during May and June forced Quinn's hand. 
Since he considered Renney the best outside candidate available,
he felt obligated to at least think about him for the Vancouver
job.  After some consideration, Renney was granted a three-year
contract.  At this point, he says he plans to retain current
assistants Glen Hanlon and Stan Smyl, both of whom have ample NHL
experience.  Depending on the team's needs, a third assistant may
be added.

On the ice, Vancouver is expected to make some roster changes
before next season gets underway.  Hot Swedish defensive prospect
Matthias Ohlund is still miles away from being signed;  because
he is European, he does not face the prospect of re-entering the
draft.  Ohlund and his agent are said to be insulted at the
Canucks current offer of approximately US$500,000 per year.  They
were looking for a figure closer to the rookie salary cap of
US$850,00 per season, and because Ohlund was drafted before the
cap was put into place, he is exempt from rookie salary
restrictions.  Ohlund was rated fourth-best prospect outside the
NHL last year and was voted top defenseman at the 1996 World
Junior Championship.  The Canucks need help on the blue line, but
at this point it looks unlikely that Matthias Ohlund will fill
that void.

What the Canucks really need is a veteran quarterback for the
power play.  After another disappointing postseason, Detroit
might well be willing to dump Paul Coffey's high salary.  As one
of the league's premier skaters, the 35-year-old Coffey probably
has a couple of good years left, and because he's Group V Free
Agent age, he can probably be acquired relatively cheaply. 
Coffey could be the Canucks' best short-term solution on the
point since Paul Reinhart did the job in the late 80s.  He would
also be a perfect mentor for young defensive
diamonds-in-the-rough Bret Hedican, Adrian Aucoin, and possibly
Ohlund.

Vancouver's only unrestricted free agents this summer are Jim
Sandlak and Tim Hunter.  Rumor has it that while Joe Kocur has
been offered a qualifying contract for next season, Hunter has
not, but he's still hoping to find an NHL job playing somewhere
in the league.  The Canucks could be interested in Jeff
Beukeboom, but what team isn't?  His price is likely too high. 
The only other unrestricted free agent with any sparkle to his
name is some guy in St. Louis named Gretzky...

Mike Ridley's back is still questionable, but if he's able to
play, he should be back for another year at center ice. 
Farmhands to watch for at training camp this year include Brian
Loney, Lonny Bohonos, Larry Courville, and Reggie Savage, who all
had great playoffs for the surprising AHL Syracuse Crunch.  1996
first-rounder Josh Holden looks like a promising playmaking
center, but he's at least a couple of seasons away.  

Contract situations are confusing for players like Cliff Ronning,
Russ Courtnall, and Corey Hirsch, whose fine play has put him up
for renegotiation.  For the most part, though, the core Canucks
should be signed, sealed, and delivered for next fall.  Here's
hoping that, with the additions of Renney, a veteran defenseman
like Coffey, and some help at center ice, the Canucks will be
looking a lot more solid as they lace up the skates for opening
night 1996!  


---------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 39-32-11; 89 points.
Finished: 4th in Atlantic, 10th overall, lost in Eastern
Conference Quarterfinals to Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2.

Goals Scored: 234 (tied 20th) 
Goals Allowed: 204 (3rd) 
Power Play: 15.6% (22nd) 
Penalty Killing: 82.6% (12th) 

SEASON RECAP by Jason Sheehan and Meredith Martini

     Team budget a little tight?  No respect for your franchise? 
Just can't get past that first round of playoffs?  Heck, just do
what everyone else does: change your uniform, colors, logo and
everything else you can get your hands on and your fortunes will
change too, right?  Well... 
     Going along with what seems to be happening with every team
in professional sports, the Washington Capitals completely
overhauled their look for the 1995-96 season.  Out were the
hallmark red, white and blue (what better for the nation's
capital?) and the admittedly hideous excuse for a logo.  In were
'hip' colors bronze, cobalt blue and the ever present black,
along with an anatomically incorrect eagle and stripes
everywhere.  The result was semi-success: the new colors and logo
were a marketing success, generally considered a big 
improvement and selling far better than the old design. 
     But while the Capitals may have looked completely different
this season, on the ice it was the same old story -- a decent if
streaky regular season, fabled tenacity, great work ethic and
conditioning, superb defense and goaltending; many injuries,
chronic offensive woes, and playoff failure.  The more things
change, well, you know how that phrase ends. 
     What the Washington Capitals knew prior to the 95-96 NHL
season was that "The Hockey News" had deemed their farm system
the best in the NHL.  What they did not know was how much of that
farm system they were going to see. 
     If playoff games are taken into consideration, the 1995-96
Capitals lost more man-games to injury than in any other season
in their history.  Only the goaltending tandem of Carey and
Kolzig managed to survive the season without a game lost to
injury and the only Capital to appear in all 82 games was
35-year-old captain Dale Hunter.  Due to the major catastrophe,
many more rookies than expected received playing time. 
Inevitably there were disappointments, but some pleasant
surprises as well. 
     The Capitals entered the season expecting the long-awaited
debuts of blue chip blueliners Brendan Witt and Nolan Baumgartner
as well as the first extended looks at Jim Carey, Sergei Gonchar,
and Ken Klee.  While Baumgartner impressed in training camp and
stayed with the team for several games, he appeared in only one
game (as a winger in October at Colorado) and was returned to
Kamloops, a move that would haunt the Capitals at the end of the
season when defensemen were hard to come by.  Baumgartner did
play in one playoff game, successfully holding off Mario Lemieux. 
The future is bright for the man they call "Baumer." 
     Witt began the season looking like a player who had not
played in well over a year, but by the second quarter was
beginning to show signs he was worthy of his first-round
selection.  In addition to a few (surprising) goals, Witt
unloaded a highlight reel's worth of hits and a Calder candidacy
argument was feasible.  But a John LeClair check on Super Bowl
Sunday broke Witt's left wrist and the injury refused to heal,
sending Witt under the surgeon's knife after the season ended. 
The future is somewhat cloudy for the youngster, but if Witt
continues to show fans on the Capital Beltway the form he
displayed just before getting injured, his future in Washington
is bright. 
     Jim Carey, well, what can you say?  He won the Vezina trophy
in only his second year of professional hockey!  The 22-year-old
goaltender carried the Capitals through March, earning his second
consecutive (March) Player of the Month award and led the
Capitals to their fourteenth consecutive playoff appearance. 
Carey played quite well during the rest of the season as well,
although his amazing success in March will be his claim to fame
for some time.  While he has yet to prove himself a playoff
goaltender, he has yet to face a team other than the Penguins in
such a situation -- his record against nearly every other team in
the NHL is impeccable.  
     Perhaps the most positive aspect of the Capitals' season
could accurately be summed up by Pete Townshend, of all people:
the kids are alright. 

TEAM MVP:  Where would the Capitals be without Peter
Bondra?  Not one player on Washington's roster scored 50% of the
goals registered by the high-scoring right winger.  American-born
Steve Konowalchuk came closest scoring 23 goals and he missed the
last quarter of the season after breaking a bone in his hand at
Montreal.  An already inept offensive team would have been
invisible without Bondra and his 52 goals.  Bondra accomplished
the impressive feat of becoming the first Capital to score 50
goals in a season since Bobby Carpenter broke the half century
mark in the 1984-85 season.

Bondra's greatest asset is his speed.  On most nights, he is seen 
flying past defensemen and breaking in alone on helpless
goaltenders.  Once he gets by the defense, he usually undresses
the goaltender with an impressive in-and-out puck handling move
and then puts the biscuit in the twine.  The entire league has
finally recognized Bondra as a superstar.  Rick Tocchet of the
Boston Bruins said Bondra is the fastest lateral skater he has
ever seen.  Sensations like Bondra do not come around too often,
which is why Capitals' management is happy to have him in the
starting lineup.

SURPRISES:  Defenseman Sergei Gonchar's impressive play on
the blue line at such a young age has been a surprise to all. 
Last season, Gonchar was a beneficiary of the NHL's lockout when
he was given the opportunity to play in Portland.  Apparently
general manager David Poile and head coach Jim Schoenfeld liked
what they saw from the young Russian and immediately inserted him
into the lineup once the lockout came to a conclusion.  As a
result of playing superbly at such a high level of competition,
Gonchar has become one of the NHL's elite defenseman. 
 
Gonchar was inexplicably overlooked for a spot on the all-star
team but that oversight should not occur in the future. 
(Writer's note [Meredith Martini]: if that oversight DOES occur
again I will personally visit the homes of those who failed to
select him, kapiche?)  Gonchar led all Capitals blueliners in
goals (15) and overall points (41) and finished behind only Mark
Tinordi in +/- at a +24.
 
Not bad for a player in his first full season, who at one point
was chronically ill with the flu and still learning English.  He
also proved that he is a tough cookie by playing the following
day after undergoing six hours of oral surgery to repair damage
from a Vincent Damphousse (illegal) cross-check.  Gonchar will be
a major star in the NHL for many years, and if he continues to
sustain his excellence, a spot on the all-star team should be
forthcoming.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  With his team locked in many low-scoring
battles, most, if not all, hockey observers figured Poile would
be forced into making a trade at the trading deadline.  Well, it
did not happen.  Poile defied logic and paid for it dearly when
half the lineup went down with injuries immediately after the
clock struck twelve on "Let's Make a Deal."
  
Poile was one of the least active general managers in the league
when it came to picking up the phone and making that magic deal
become a reality.  Instead, he continues to emphasize the
significance of young talent and preaches that the youth movement
is the secret to success.  On more than one occasion, Poile has
compared the Capitals with the tortoise and other teams, such as
St. Louis, to the hare.  Well, the Blues came within a hair of
defeating the high-powered Red Wings in their Western Conference
Semifinal match-up, while the Capitals looked more like a turtle
in losing to the Penguins in the first round.  

Fans around the Capital Beltway realize the Capitals' hopes of
winning a Stanley Cup revolve around a high-scoring forward being
acquired.  But until Poile pulls the trigger on a huge trade,
things will remain status quo.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  It was no surprise to anyone that the
Capitals went into last Saturday's entry draft looking for
offensive talent.  And thanks to the Los Angeles Kings (1995
draft day trade: Dimitri Khristich and Byron Dafoe to LA for a
first- and fourth-round selection in this year's draft),
Washington possessed the draft's fourth selection.
  
With that fourth pick, the Capitals selected Russian-born right 
winger Alexandre Volchkov.  Volchkov scored 37 goals and
accumulated 64 points in the 45 games he played with the Barrie
Colts of the OHL.  One major complaint against Volchkov is his
attitude.  It turned out that the Islanders, who drafted third
overall, did not draft him because of a bad interview. 
Apparently, there were no glitches in his interview with the
Capitals, as Poile shook off a last-minute offer from Whalers
general manager Jim Rutherford and approached the podium to
select what he hopes will be a key ingredient in the near 
future.

Due to all the season-ending mishaps, a couple young players were 
given a look and could take a couple jobs away from established 
veterans once training camp begins in September.  A shortage of 
forwards in December caused the Capitals to purchase the contract
of winger Andrew Brunette, who had attended training camp but was
never under contract to the Capitals.  Good move.  Brunette may
have been the best surprise for the Capitals the entire season,
showing solid ability in his first, abbreviated call-up and later
forcing his way into the everyday lineup.  While the Capitals
still have concerns regarding his defensive ability, a place on
next season's lineup is his to lose.  

The Capitals' wildcard was the young Slovak Richard Zednik, a
tenth-round pick in the 1995 draft who was casually shipped off
to the WHL's Portland Winterhawks to learn North American style
and English.  Zednik turned in an offensive onslaught in the WHL,
leading the league in scoring for much of the season and shining
brightly in the World Junior Tournament as well.  While he
appeared in only one game for the Capitals, he did not appear out
of place.  The Capitals firmly believe they have the next coming
of Peter Bondra on their hands.

However, based on Poile's inability to acquire an offensive gun,
the Capitals will probably enter next season without any drastic
changes being made.  

---------------------------------------------------------------
WINNIPEG JETS
---------------------------------------------------------------

1995-96 Record: 36-40-6, 78 points.
Finished: 5th in Central, 17th overall, lost in Western
Conference Quarterfinals to Detroit Red Wings 4-2.

Goals Scored: 275 (5th) 
Goals Allowed: 291 (21st) 
Power Play: 19.7% (7th) 
Penalty Killing: 79.5% (23rd) 

SEASON RECAP by Eric Legault

     There were many story lines bandied about during the Jets'
1995-1996 NHL season.  Taxpayers pay Jets' losses; Jets moving to
Minneapolis; attendance down for lame-duck season; city council
blamed for loss of franchise; Jets moving to Nashville; Shenkarow
blamed for loss of franchise; Jets moving to Phoenix; province 
blamed for loss of franchise, etc.  Actual stories of the team's
play seemed few and far between.  Well, that's where I come in. 
How did the Jets do?  What did they accomplish?  Who carried the
team?  Let's, as Hammer would say, break it down... 

GM:  The best way to assess John Paddock's
performance is to analyze his trades.  Paddock's mission from the
beginning of the season was to improve his defence corps.  So
what did he do?  He traded the gritty, stay-at-home Neil
Wilkinson for Norm Maciver, obtained flashy prospect Oleg
Tverdovsky in the Selanne deal, traded Darryl Shannon for
Craig Muni, sent Stewart Malgunas to Washington, and acquired
Dallas Eakins off waivers from St. Louis.  Keeping in mind that
the only reliable defenceman they had at the beginning of the
season, both offensively and defensively, was Teppo Numminen,
it's clear the Jets needed another two solid d-men for each area. 

Acquiring Tverdovsky and Maciver seemed to cover the offensive
aspect, but Oleg's young, unproven, and greener than a head of
fresh lettuce, while Maciver's 31 years puts him in the Aging 
Athlete With Declining Skills category.  

Losing Malgunas and signing Eakins were inconsequential moves,
simply another installment in the never-ending saga of Jet
defencemen destined for the IHL.  Trading Shannon for Muni was a
good move, as the veteran ex-Oiler's leadership is a necessity on
a blue line that's severely lacking in confidence (I just wish he
wouldn't have tripped over said blue line so much during the
playoffs).

As for his other trades, the most notable is the Selanne for 
Tverdovsky and Kilger deal.  Paddock once said he'll never trade
any of the big three (Selanne, Tkachuk, and Zhamnov), and dealing
Hockey Idol No. 1 shocked the city to the core.  Fans cried foul,
saying any hopes of success this year were sabotaged, but this
was clearly a long-term move.  Tverdovsky showed signs of
brilliance last season, and is certain to join the ranks of
Hamrlik/Ozolinsh/Berard as a future defensive star of the mobile
variety.  Kilger has been touted as the next Primeau, so if
everything works out, and Teemu doesn't repeat the feats of his
rookie season in Anaheim too often, the Jets should be pretty 
solid in the future.  

The last trade of significance was sending Nelson Emerson for
Darren Turcotte, who was later parlayed into Craig Janney.  This
essentially replaced the lack of offensive production created by
the absence of Selanne, and Janney, who was supposed to do to
Tkachuk's game what Oates did with Hull, actually wound up
feeding off Tkachuk's play-making and potted some goals as well
as setting him up in return.  

Lastly, Paddock shipped inconsistent goalie Tim Cheveldae for
inconsistent Dominic Roussel, whose lesser salary and age gives
Winnipeg the edge in this deal.  

Overall then, Paddock's personnel moves this year should be rated 
according to two guidelines: immediate impact moves and long-term
moves.  Acquiring Janney, Muni, and Maciver classifies in the
immediate impact category, yet those players noted
inconsistencies and the loss of Selanne earns Paddy a marginal C
grade.  Long term, things look a bit brighter.  Tverdovsky and
Kilger look like the light at the end of the tunnel for the Jets,
and unless Neil Wilkinson develops into a Scott Stevens and
Michal Grosek's rejuvenation continues in Buffalo, Paddock
deserves a C grade, Selanne or no Selanne.

Coach:  Promoted to Head Coach after assisting
John Paddock, who left the position in April of 1994 to focus on
general manager duties, Terry Simpson was left with 
the daunting task of developing a young team into a contender. 
Although the Jets missed the playoffs in 94-95, it can be argued
that he did a fairly decent job nontheless in that infamous
shortened season.  This year was a different barrel of peaches 
altogether, though.  Labeled as a lame-duck season from the
get-go, Simpson was in for a rough ride.

He had no real starting goaltender.  His captain (Tkachuk) wasn't
leading the team properly.  His star player from the previous
year (Zhamnov) was sulking over contract problems.  His defence
was thinner than the ice surface at the Winnipeg Arena.  But
through it all, he managed to keep his team's focus on the game
and away from all the media attention surrounding the Jets' move
to Phoenix.  Then Paddock traded away what was arguably the
team's best player (Selanne), and he had two more youngsters
(Tverdovsky and Kilger) to nurture.  Yet Simpson persevered, and
in the end his team gained a playoff berth for the first time in
three years.  They even gave the feared Detroit Red Wings a
heart-attack in Round One before bowing out.  Grade: B

Forwards:  Biggest contributors: Keith Tkachuk,
Eddie Olczyk, Kris King, Dallas Drake, and Mike Eastwood. 
Tkachuk we've talked about.  Olczyk - Eddie!  My man!  This 
guy has so much heart, soul and untapped talent that it's a
wonder the Rangers let him go.  Eddie accumulated 27 goals and 22
assists in 51 games last season, essentially rejuvenating his 
sagging career and winning the admiration of teammates and fans
alike.  King worked his tail off to earn the C, and recently won
the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian contributions. 
Drake and Eastwood = grit, determination, and character; the 
Jets could use more of these type of players.  Honourable
mentions go to Igor Korolev for his early-season fire, Craig
Janney for his late-season contributions, and rookie Shane 
Doan for earning a spot on the team from his training camp
exploits, and continuing to play feisty and spirited through 74
regular season games.  Grade: B-

Persona non grata: Alexei Zhamnov (see below), and Igor Korolev. 
Igor just plain fizzled in the second half of the season.

Defence:  Biggest contributors: Teppo Numminen
and Norm Maciver.  Teppo was just Teppo, the forever dependable,
quiet, and efficient pulse of the Jets' blue line.  When will
this guy be recognized by the media outside of Winnipeg?  Maciver
gave the Jets back some of the offensive power lacking since the
departure of Phil Housley, improving the power play in the
process.  Honourable mentions go to Dave Manson, for being a 
little less scary in his own zone, Craig Muni, for adding some
stability and leadership, and Oleg Tverdovsky, for giving the
team a lot of hope for the future with some flashy displays of
brilliance.  Grade: C

Persona non grata: Not really applicable, because not much can be 
expected out of the remaining defenceman (Eakins, Thompson,
Finley), although rookies Jason Doig and Deron Quint showed some
promise.

Goaltending:  Nikolai Khabibulin was a breath of
fresh air for the Jets (see below), but the verdict's still out
on Dominic Roussel, who recorded a 2-2-0 record, with 3.37 
goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.  Grade: B+
(skewed heavily by Khabibulin)

TEAM MVP:  Usually, the team MVP is also the fan
favourite.  Selanne is definitely the latter, and could quite
possibly have been the former, had he not sprouted feathers 
and flew the coop to play in a Pond.  Which leaves Keith Tkachuk,
the resident bad boy and deposed captain, whom nearly everybody
in the city has a love/hate relationship with.  

Thanks to his $6-million salary (no, thank you, Mr. Pulford!)
brought on by Paddock's matching of Chicago's offer sheet,
Tkachuk was instantly despised in Winnipeg and became the poster
boy for everything that's wrong with professional athletes and
sports teams these days.  Frequently booed, it's a wonder he
mustered any gumption at all to play hard for the team,
particularly after his captaincy was stripped in favour of Kris
King.  

Yet 'Walt' rose above all that, and in the process dispelled such
labels as "brash, young hot-head".  He finally started to display
signs of maturity in his fourth full NHL season, and scored 50
goals for the first time to boot.  After Selanne was traded, and
with Zhamnov mired in mediocrity, it fell upon young Tkachuk's
shoulders to carry the team.  Perhaps the pressure of being
captain hurt his game in the past, but his numbers this 
season speak loudly of his accomplishments: 50 goals, 48 assists,
90 points, with 156 penalty minutes, 20 power-play goals (tie for
2nd in the NHL), two short-handed goals, six game-winners, 249
shots, and a 20.1 shooting percentage.  Eventually, the boos
stopped...

SURPRISES:  Although not really a surprise, more like a
"See?  I told you so..." or a"It's about time..." to people who
follow the Jets rather closely, Nikolai Khabibulin earned the
respect of hockey fans and players around the league with his
show-stopping performances in the series against Detroit. 
Indeed, Khabibulin made people sit up and take notice throughout
the year.  Habby racked up a pretty decent record on a
underachieving squad: 26-20-3, two shutouts, and a 3.13 goals-
against and .908 save percentage.
 
His unorthodox style and incredible agility and quickness
frustrated many opponents during the regular season, and
absolutely flabbergasted the Detroit Red Wings.  He practically
stole two wins for the Jets in the playoffs.  This guy's a
keeper.

Another surprise was the Selanne trade.  You could almost hear
the wailing of pre-pubescent females above the roar of the wind
at Portage & Main, so shocking was the loss of River City's
premier sports idol.  Sure, one of the Big Three had to 
go.  The Jets couldn't afford three seven-digit contracts, given
the current financial woes.  Zhamnov seemed the most likely.  His
contract squabbles and infuriating tendency to go from superstar
to pezhead from one game to another did little to endear him to 
management.  However, Zhamnov's market value has decreased
significantly since his peak performance during the shortened
season of 94-95, where he finished third in league scoring. 
Tkachuk had to stay - the Jets were paying him $6 million!  So
the likely theory is that the if the Jets were to get anything of
value that would help the team in a trade, Selanne would be the
deal-breaker.  Nevertheless, it was a surprise.  You just don't
trade a recent Calder trophy winner and rookie scoring
record-breaker, not to mention a person with his charisma and
community service efforts.  But that's just what John Paddock 
did.  

Which leads me to another thought.  Lets put forth the wild
theory that hockey in Phoenix *might* not be as successful a
venture as some people would think (sarcasm off).  Selanne would
have been a perfect ambassador to sell the game in Arizona.  
Tkachuk should attract fans, but his public relations record is
abysmal.  So who's left?  Zhamnov (if he's still around by then)? 
Not likely.  The Coyotes are apparently already aware of this
problem, judging by promotional videos they've already released. 
One segment features Dave Manson saying to the camera: "Hi, I'm
Dave Manson.  But some people call me Charlie," followed by shots
of some of the more vicious hits Dave is known to throw.  If the
Coyotes have to resort to using Manson to promote the team,
whether their intentions are enthusiastic or they're just playing
the best card they've got, they should be in for a surprise of
their own...

DISAPPOINTMENTS:  Enter Alexei Zhamnov.  Play-maker
extraordinaire.  Finished third overall among NHL scoring leaders
in 1994-95 with 30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points in 
48 games.  That same year, named to the NHL Second All-Star Team
at centre, finishing second only to Eric Lindros in the
balloting.  Also nominated for Lady Byng Trophy (only had 20
PIMS).  Scored five goals on April 1, 1995 at Los Angeles, tying
the Jets team record for most goals in a game.  

Enter the 1995-96 season.  Finished third in team scoring with 22
goals, 37 assists for 59 points in 58 games.  Also accumulated 65
PIMS (goodbye, Ms. Byng).  Showed up some nights, took the rest
off.  Was notably absent during the playoffs.  While his play can
be deemed as sufficient by some, for those of us who see him play
regularly, his play last season is simply unacceptable.  Zhamnov
can be a premier star in this league, but for whatever reasons he
cannot seem to play like a premier star on a consistent basis. 
Perhaps his lackluster efforts are attributed to the contract
troubles he's had this year.  But aren't you supposed to show
your value in order to justify a better contract?  Shouldn't a
professional athlete with a love for their game be able to put
aside such issues as contract negotiations and stay focused on
playing to the best of their ability?  The fact that Zhamnov
hasn't been able to rise to the occasion (especially now
that he's not under Selanne's shadow) is a major disappointment
to his coach, teammates, and fans.  Maybe a new start in Phoenix
will give him the incentives he needs to rejuvenate his game,
perhaps even extend his level of play.  Whatever the case, Alexei
has the skills.  He simply has to use them.

Another disappointment was the Jets last ever regular season
game.  Facing the Mighty Ducks and their former teammate Teemu
Selanne in Anaheim, the Jets had only to tie or win to avoid
facing the Red Wings.  A win would have paired the Jets against
the Leafs, against whom they had a regular season record of
3-2-1, while a tie would have matched them with the Blackhawks, a
series they won 4-2-1.  But they gassed the game 5-2, showing no
signs of life whatsoever.  The fact that they couldn't elevate 
their game at all was a major disappointment, and hastened their
early exit from the playoffs.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  The only changes so far occurred
during the NHL Entry Draft in St. Louis, where Winnipeg (oh yeah,
they're Phoenix now) acquired veteran right winger Mike 
Gartner from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fourth-
round pick.  This is an excellent move.  The Coyotes get a proven
leader and perennial 30-goal man for next to nothing.  Forget his
36 years; he's the forward equivalent of Paul Coffey.  He can
still skate, and is always in top shape.  Every team needs
veterans, especially young teams, and the Coyotes now have
Gartner, Muni, and Maciver to settle the whipper-snappers.

One factor that still needs to be addressed is the defence.  The 
current toughness level is marginal, with Manson being the only
threat.  A bigger body is needed until Jason Doig and Brent
Thompson develop further.  Mobility is decent, but Maciver won't 
last much longer, Numminen is still better defensively, and
Tverdovsky (who's yet to score a goal with the Jets) is a few
years from being a serious offensive weapon.

As for other possible changes, Gretzky has been rumoured to be a 
possibility in a Coyotes uniform.  Phil Housley has expressed an
interest in playing in Arizona.  Yet if there's any player who's
likely to be moved, that would most certainly be Zhamnov. 
Perhaps Zhamnov and zillions of dollars to St. Louis for the
Great One?  Crazier things have happened.  Moreover, if Zhamnov's
traded, look for his buddy Igor Korolev to follow.  Even Eddie
Olczyk is inexplicably expendable, as there's been some rifts
before between him, Simpson, and Paddock, although with Don Hay
rumoured to be on board, there might be a renewed interest in
signing the free agent.  

Whatever the Coyotes do, they have a pretty solid core and some
great players in development.  All they need is for a few more
pieces of the puzzle to fall into place, and the Phoenix Coyotes
will be a serious contender in no time.
================================================================

Future of LCS: Guide to Hockey

     The fact that this issue came out 10 days after its initial
publishing date, should give some insight into how we feel this
time of year.  We're all pretty burned out and could use a break
from the computer.  The next issue of LCS won't be out until mid-
to late August.  That issue will contain our annual player
ratings as well as coverage of the World Cup.  The website will
still be up and running during that time, but don't expect a
whole lot of new features until August. 
     We'll just be kickin' back and relaxin' over the next few
weeks.  Bob Hope has asked Zippy to travel with him overseas to
entertain the troops with his wacky wonder chimp antics.  See, I
didn't even think there was a war going on, but Mr. Hope told us
there will be once people get a look at Zippy's act.  Jim is
going to take time off to travel as well.  He always said before
he died he'd like to see a foreign country, so Jim's planning a
two-week trip to West Virginia.  Matt, well, Matt is already on
one of them beverage-induced vacations if you get my drift.  As
for myself, I think I'll just relax and live the good life
afforded me by being the editor-in-chief of LCS.  That's right,
bread and water twice a day from here on out!  
     That's all for this season.  Take it easy. 
               

ALL TIME NHL AWARD WINNERS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Adams Award Winners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Jack Adams Award is an annual award presented by the National
Hockey League Broadcasters' Association "to the NHL coach adjudged 
to have contributed the most to his team's success", which in plain
english means coach of the year.  The winner is selected by a poll 
among members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association at the end of the 
regular season.

YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Scotty Bowman, Detroit
1995            Marc Crawford, Quebec 
1994            Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey
1993            Pat Burns, Toronto
1992            Pat Quinn, Vancouver
1991            Brian Sutter, St. Louis         
1990            Bob Murdoch, Winnipeg           
1989            Pat Burns, Montreal             
1988            Jacques Demers, Detroit         
1987            Jacques Demers, Detroit         
1986            Glen Sather, Edmonton           
1985            Mike Keenan, Philadelphia       
1984            Bryan Murray, Washington        
1983            Orval Tessier, Chicago
1982            Tom Watt, Winnipeg
1981            Gordon Berenson,St Louis  
1980            Pat Quinn, Philadelphia
1979            Al Arbour, NY Islanders         
1978            Bobby Kromm, Detroit            
1977            Scott Bowman, Montreal          
1976            Don Cherry, Boston
1975            Bob Pulford, Los Angeles
1974            Fred Shero, Philadelphia

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Art Ross Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Art Ross Trophy is an annual award "to the player who leads the 
league in scoring points at the end of the regular season".   If two 
players finish the season with the same number of points, the trophy is
awarded based on three criteria:
1. Player with most goals, 2. Player with fewer games played,  
3. Player scoring first goal of the season.

Note: Leading scorers are listed prior to inception of Art Ross Trophy
      for the 1947-48 season.

YEAR     WINNER                          RUNNER-UP
1996	 Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh	 Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh
1995     Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh        Eric Lindros, Philadelphia
1994     Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles      Sergei Fedorov, Detroit
1993     Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       Pat Lafontaine, Buffalo
1992     Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh
1991     Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles      Brett Hull, St. Louis
1990     Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles      Mark Messier, Edmonton
1989     Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles
1988     Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1987     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Jari Kurri, Edmonton
1986     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1985     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Jari Kurri, Edmonton
1984     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Paul Coffey, Edmonton
1983     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Peter Stastny, Quebec
1982     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Mike Bossy, NY Islanders
1981     Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles
1980     Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles      Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1979     Bryan Trottier, NY Islanders    Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles
1978     Guy Lafleur, Montreal           Bryan Trottier, NY Islanders
1977     Guy Lafleur, Montreal           Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles
1976     Guy Lafleur, Montreal           Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia
1975     Bobby Orr, Boston               Phil Esposito, Boston
1974     Phil Esposito, Boston           Bobby Orr, Boston
1973     Phil Esposito, Boston           Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia
1972     Phil Esposito, Boston           Bobby Orr, Boston
1971     Phil Esposito, Boston           Bobby Orr, Boston
1970     Bobby Orr, Boston               Phil Esposito, Boston
1969     Phil Esposito, Boston           Bobby Hull, Chicago
1968     Stan Mikita, Chicago            Phil Esposito, Boston
1967     Stan Mikita, Chicago            Bobby Hull, Chicago
1966     Bobby Hull, Chicago             Stan Mikita, Chicago
1965     Stan Mikita, Chicago            Norm Ullman, Detroit
1964     Stan Mikita, Chicago            Bobby Hull, Chicago
1963     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Andy Bathgate, New York
1962     Bobby Hull, Chicago             Andy Bathgate, New York
1961     Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal      Jean Beliveau, Montreal
1960     Bobby Hull, Chicago             Bronco Horvath, Boston
1959     Dickie Moore, Montreal          Jean Beliveau, Montreal
1958     Dickie Moore, Montreal          Henri Richard, Montreal
1957     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Ted Lindsay, Detroit
1956     Jean Beliveau, Montreal         Gordie Howe, Detroit
1955     Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal      Maurice Richard, Montreal
1954     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Maurice Richard, Montreal
1953     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Ted Lindsay, Detroit
1952     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Ted Lindsay, Detroit
1951     Gordie Howe, Detroit            Maurice Richard, Montreal
1950     Ted Lindsay, Detroit            Sid Abel, Detroit
1949     Roy Conacher, Chicago           Doug Bentley, Chicago
1948     Elmer Lach, Montreal            Buddy O'Connor, New York
1947     Max Bentley, Chicago            Maurice Richard, Montreal
1946     Max Bentley, Chicago            Gaye Stewart, Toronto
1945     Elmer Lach, Montreal            Maurice Richard, Montreal
1944     Herbie Cain, Boston             Doug Bentley, Chicago
1943     Doug Bentley, Chicago           Bill Cowley, Boston
1942     Bryan Hextall, New York         Lynn Patrick, New York
1941     Bill Cowley, Boston             Bryan Hextall, NY Rangers
1940     Milt Schmidt, Boston            Woody Dumart, Boston
1939     Toe Blake, Montreal             Dave Schriner, NY Americans
1938     Gordie Drillon, Toronto         Syl Apps, Toronto
1937     Dave Schriner, NY Americans     Syl Apps, Toronto
1936     Dave Schriner, NY Americans     Marty Barry, Detroit
1935     Charlie Conacher, Toronto       Syd Howe, St. Louis-Detroit
1934     Charlie Conacher, Toronto       Joe Primeau, Toronto
1933     Bill Cook, NY Rangers           Harvey Jackson, Toronto
1932     Harvey Jackson, Toronto         Joe Primeau, Toronto
1931     Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens     Eddie Goodfellow, Detroit
1930     Cooney Weiland, Boston          Frank Boucher, NY Rangers
1929     Ace Bailey, Toronto             Nels Stewart, Mtl Maroons
1928     Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens     Aurel Joliat, Mtl Canadiens
1927     Bill Cook, NY Rangers           Dick Irvin, Chicago
1926     Nels Stewart, Mtl Maroons       Carson Cooper, Boston
1925     Babe Dye, Toronto               Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens
1924     Cy Denneny, Ottawa              Babe Dye, Toronto
1923     Babe Dye, Toronto               Billy Boucher, Montreal
1922     Punch Broadbent, Ottawa         Babe Dye, Toronto
1921     Newsy Lalonde, Montreal         Cy Denneny, Ottawa
1920     Joe Malone, Quebec              Newsy Lalonde, Montreal
1919     Odie Cleghorn, Montreal         Newsy Lalonde, Montreal
1918     Joe Malone, Montreal            Cy Denneny, Ottawa

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award "to the player 
adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and 
gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' 
Association at the end of the regular season.

YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Paul Kariya, Anaheim
1995            Ron Francis, Pittsburgh  
1994            Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles
1993            Pierre Turgeon, NY Islanders
1992            Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles
1991            Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles      
1990            Brett Hull, St. Louis           
1989            Joe Mullen, Calgary             
1988            Mats Naslund, Montreal          
1987            Joe Mullen, Calgary             
1986            Mike Bossy, NY Islanders        
1985            Jari Kurri, Edmonton            
1984            Mike Bossy, NY Islanders        
1983            Mike Bossy, NY Islanders        
1982            Rick Middleton, Boston          
1981            Rick Kehoe, Pittsburgh          
1980            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1979            Bob MacMillan, Atlanta          
1978            Butch Goring, Los Angeles       
1977            Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles      
1976            Jean Ratelle, NY Rangers-Boston 
1975            Marcel Dionne, Detroit          
1974            John Bucyk, Boston              
1973            Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo      
1972            Jean Ratelle, New York          
1971            John Bucyk, Boston              
1970            Phil Goyette, St. Louis         
1969            Alex Delvecchio, Detroit        
1968            Stan Mikita, Chicago            
1967            Stan Mikita, Chicago            
1966            Alex Delvecchio, Detroit        
1965            Bobby Hull, Chicago             
1964            Ken Wharram, Chicago            
1963            Dave Keon, Toronto              
1962            Dave Keon, Toronto              
1961            Red Kelly, Toronto              
1960            Don McKenney, Boston            
1959            Alex Delvecchio, Detroit        
1958            Camille Henry, New York         
1957            Andy Hebenton, New York         
1956            Earl Reibel, Detroit            
1955            Sid Smith, Toronto              
1954            Red Kelly, Detroit              
1953            Red Kelly, Detroit              
1952            Sid Smith, Toronto              
1951            Red Kelly, Detroit              
1950            Edgar Laprade, New York         
1949            Bill Quackenbush, Detroit       
1948            Buddy O'Connor, New York        
1947            Bobby Bauer, Boston             
1946            Toe Blake, Montreal             
1945            Bill Mosienko, Chicago          
1944            Clint Smith, Chicago            
1943            Max Bentley, Chicago            
1942            Syl Apps, Toronto               
1941            Bobby Bauer, Boston             
1940            Bobby Bauer, Boston             
1939            Clint Smith, NY Rangers         
1938            Gordie Drillon, Toronto         
1937            Marty Barry, Detroit            
1936            Doc Romnes, Chicago             
1935            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1934            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1933            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1932            Joe Primeau, Toronto            
1931            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1930            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1929            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1928            Frank Boucher, NY Rangers       
1927            Billy Burch, NY Americans       
1926            Frank Nighbor, Ottawa           
1925            Frank Nighbor, Ottawa           

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calder Memorial Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award "to the player selected 
as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National
Hockey League."  The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional 
Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa
1995            Peter Forsberg, Quebec
1994            Martin Brouder, New Jersey
1993            Temmu Selanne, Winnipeg
1992            Pavel Bure, Vancouver
1991            Ed Belfour, Chicago             
1990            Sergei Makarov, Calgary         
1989            Brian Leetch, NY Rangers        
1988            Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary         
1987            Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles     
1986            Gary Suter, Calgary             
1985            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       
1984            Tom Barrasso, Buffalo           
1983            Steve Larmer, Chicago           
1982            Dale Hawerchuk, Winnipeg        
1981            Peter Stastny, Quebec           
1980            Ray Bourque, Boston             
1979            Bobby Smith, Minnesota          
1978            Mike Bossy, NY Islanders        
1977            Willi Plett, Atlanta           
1976            Bryan Trottier, NY Islanders    
1975            Eric Vail, Atlanta             
1974            Denis Potvin, NY Islanders      
1973            Steve Vickers, NY Rangers       
1972            Ken Dryden, Montreal            
1971            Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo      
1970            Tony Esposito, Chicago          
1969            Danny Grant, Minnesota          
1968            Derek Sanderson, Boston         
1967            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1966            Brit Selby, Toronto             
1965            Roger Crozier, Detroit          
1964            Jacques Laperriere, Montreal    
1963            Kent Douglas, Toronto           
1962            Bobby Rousseau, Montreal        
1961            Dave Keon, Toronto              
1960            Bill Hay, Chicago               
1959            Ralph Backstrom, Montreal       
1958            Frank Mahovlich, Toronto        
1957            Larry Regan, Boston             
1956            Glenn Hall, Detroit             
1955            Ed Litzenberger, Chicago        
1954            Camille Henry, New York         
1953            Lorne Worsley, New York         
1952            Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal      
1951            Terry Sawchuk, Detroit          
1950            Jack Gelineau, Boston           
1949            Pentti Lund, New York           
1948            Jim McFadden, Detroit           
1947            Howie Meeker, Toronto           
1946            Edgar Laprade, New York
1945            Frank McCool, Toronto           
1944            Gus Bodnar, Toronto             
1943            Gaye Stewart, Toronto
1942            Grant Warwick, New York
1941            Johnny Quilty, Montreal        
1940            Kilby MacDonald, NY Rangers
1939            Frank Brimsek, Boston
1938            Cully Dahlstrom, Chicago
1937            Syl Apps, Toronto
1936            Mike Karakas, Chicago
1935            Dave Schriner, NY Americans
1934            Russ Blinko, Mtl Maroons
1933            Carl Voss, Detroit

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is an annual award "to the player who 
best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a
noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
 
YEAR            WINNER
1995            Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary
1994            Adam Graves, NY Rangers
1993            Dave Poulin, Boston
1992            Ray Bourque, Boston
1991            Dave Taylor, Los Angeles
1990            Kevin Lowe, Edmonton
1989            Bryan Trottier, NY Islanders
1988            Lanny McDonald, Calgary

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hart Trophy Winners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award "to the player adjudged to 
be the most valuable to his team."  The winner is selected in a poll of
the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in all NHL cities at the 
end of the regular season.

YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1995            Eric Lindros, Philadelphia
1994            Sergei Fedorov, Detroit
1993            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh 
1992            Mark Messier, NY Rangers
1991            Brett Hull, St. Louis           
1990            Mark Messier, Edmonton          
1989            Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles      
1988            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh       
1987            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1986            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1985            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1984            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1983            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1982            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1981            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1980            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton         
1979            Bryan Trottier, NY Islanders    
1978            Guy Lafleur, Montreal           
1977            Guy Lafleur, Montreal           
1976            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia      
1975            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia      
1974            Phil Esposito, Boston           
1973            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia      
1972            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1971            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1970            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1969            Phil Esposito, Boston           
1968            Stan Mikita, Chicago            
1967            Stan Mikita, Chicago            
1966            Bobby Hull, Chicago             
1965            Bobby Hull, Chicago             
1964            Jean Beliveau, Montreal         
1963            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1962            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1961            Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal      
1960            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1959            Andy Bathgate, New York         
1958            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1957            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1956            Jean Beliveau, Montreal         
1955            Ted Kennedy, Toronto            
1954            Al Rollins, Chicago             
1953            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1952            Gordie Howe, Detroit            
1951            Milt Schmidt, Boston            
1950            Charlie Rayner, New York        
1949            Sid Abel, Detroit               
1948            Buddy O'Connor, New York        
1947            Maurice Richard, Montreal       
1946            Max Bentley, Chicago            
1945            Elmer Lach, Montreal            
1944            Babe Pratt, Toronto             
1943            Bill Cowley, Boston             
1942            Tom Anderson, Brooklyn          
1941            Bill Cowley, Boston             
1940            Eddie Goodfellow, Detroit       
1939            Toe Blake, Montreal             
1938            Eddie Shore, Boston             
1937            Babe Siebert, Mtl Canadiens     
1936            Eddie Shore, Boston             
1935            Eddie Shore, Boston             
1934            Aurel Joliat, Mtl Canadiens     
1933            Eddie Shore, Boston             
1932            Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens     
1931            Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens     
1930            Nels Stewart, Mtl Maroons       
1929            Roy Worters, NY Americans       
1928            Howie Morenz, Mtl Canadiens     
1927            Herb Gardiner, Mtl Canadiens    
1926            Nels Stewart, Mtl Maroons       
1925            Billy Burch, Hamilton           
1924            Frank Nighbor, Ottawa           

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
William M. Jennings Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Willam M. Jennings Trophy is an annual award presented to the 
goaltender(s) for the team with the fewest goals against during the
regular season.  Goaltenders must play a minimum of 25 games to be 
eligible.

YEAR            WINNER
1996		Chris Osgood, Detroit
		Mike Vernon
1995            Ed Belfour, Chicago
1994            Dominik Hasek
                Grant Fuhr, Buffalo
1993            Ed Belfour, Chicago
1992            Patrick Roy, Montreal
1991            Ed Belfour, Chicago             
1990            Andy Moog                       
                Rejean Lemelin, Boston          
1989            Patrick Roy                     
                Brian Hayward, Montreal         
1988            Patrick Roy                     
                Brian Hayward, Montreal         
1987            Patrick Roy                     
                Brian Hayward, Montreal
1986            Bob Froese                      
                Darren Jensen, Philadelphia     
1985            Tom Barrasso                    
                Bob Sauve, Buffalo
1984            Al Jensen                       
                Pat Riggin, Washington          
1983            Roland Melanson                 
                Billy Smith, NY Islanders
1982            Rick Wamsley                    
                Denis Herron, Montreal          

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the 
trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to 
"the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities 
of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."  The winner 
is selected in a poll of all chapters of the Professional Hockey 
Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.  

YEAR            WINNER
1996		Gary Roberts, Calgary
1995            Pat LaFontaine, Buffalo  
1994            Cam Neely, Boston
1993            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1992            Mark Fitzpatrick, NY Islanders
1991            Dave Taylor, Los Angeles
1990            Gord Kluzak, Boston
1989            Tim Kerr, Philadelphia
1988            Bob Bourne, Los Angeles
1987            Doug Jarvis, Hartford
1986            Charlie Simmer, Boston
1985            Anders Hedberg, NY Rangers
1984            Brad Park, Detroit
1983            Lanny McDonald, Calgary
1982            Glenn Resch, Colorado
1981            Blake Dunlop, St. Louis
1980            Al MacAdam, Minnesota
1979            Serge Savard, Montreal
1978            Butch Goring, Los Angeles
1977            Ed Westfall, NY Islanders
1976            Rod Gilbert, NY Rangers
1975            Don Luce, Buffalo
1974            Henri Richard, Montreal
1973            Lowell MacDonald, Pittsburgh
1972            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia
1971            Jean Ratelle, New York
1970            Pit Martin, Chicago
1969            Ted Hampson, Oakland
1968            Claude Provost, Montreal

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Norris Memorial Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is annual award "to the defense player
who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability 
in the position."  The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional
Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Chris Chelios, Chicago
1995            Paul Coffey, Detroit
1994            Ray Bourque, Boston
1993            Chris Chelios, Chicago
1992            Brian Leetch, NYR                    
1991            Ray Bourque, Boston             
1990            Ray Bourque, Boston             
1989            Chris Chelios, Montreal         
1988            Ray Bourque, Boston             
1987            Ray Bourque, Boston            
1986            Paul Coffey, Edmonton           
1985            Paul Coffey, Edmonton          
1984            Rod Langway, Washington         
1983            Rod Langway, Washington         
1982            Doug Wilson, Chicago            
1981            Randy Carlyle, Pittsburgh       
1980            Larry Robinson, Montreal        
1979            Denis Potvin, NY Islanders      
1978            Denis Potvin, NY Islanders      
1977            Larry Robinson, Montreal        
1976            Denis Potvin, NY Islanders      
1975            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1974            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1973            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1972            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1971            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1970            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1969            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1968            Bobby Orr, Boston               
1967            Harry Howell, New York          
1966            Jacques Laperriere, Montreal    
1965            Pierre Pilote, Chicago          
1964            Pierre Pilote, Chicago          
1963            Pierre Pilote, Chicago          
1962            Doug Harvey, New York           
1961            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1960            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1959            Tom Johnson, Montreal           
1958            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1957            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1956            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1955            Doug Harvey, Montreal           
1954            Red Kelly, Detroit              

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lester B. Pearson Award
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lester B. Pearson Award is an annual award which is presented 
by the NHLPA to the NHL player who had an outstanding season.

YEAR            WINNER
1996		Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1995            Eric Lindros, Philadelphia
1994            Sergei Fedorov, Detroit
1993            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1992            Mark Messier, NY Rangers
1991            Brett Hull, St. Louis
1990            Mark Messier, Edmonton
1989            Steve Yzerman, Detroit
1988            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1987            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1986            Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh
1985            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1984            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1983            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1982            Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton
1981            Mike Liut, St. Louis
1980            Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles
1979            Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles
1978            Guy Lafleur, Montreal
1977            Guy Lafleur, Montreal
1976            Guy Lafleur, Montreal
1975            Bobby Orr, Boston
1974            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia
1973            Phil Esposito, Boston
1972            Jean Ratelle, New York
1971            Phil Esposito, Boston

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank J. Selke Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is an annual award "to the forward who best 
excels in the defensive aspects of the game."  The winner is selected 
in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end 
of the regular season.

YEAR            WINNER               
1996		Sergei Fedorov, Detroit         
1995            Ron Francis, Pittsburgh  
1994            Sergei Fedorov, Detroit
1993            Doug Gilmour, Toronto
1992            Guy Carbonneau, Montreal
1991            Dirk Graham, Chicago          
1990            Rick Meagher, St. Louis         
1989            Guy Carbonneau, Montreal        
1988            Guy Carbonneau, Montreal        
1987            Dave Poulin, Philadelphia       
1986            Troy Murray, Chicago            
1985            Craig Ramsay, Buffalo           
1984            Doug Jarvis, Washington         
1983            Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia      
1982            Steve Kasper, Boston            
1981            Bob Gainey, Montreal            
1980            Bob Gainey, Montreal            
1979            Bob Gainey, Montreal            
1978            Bob Gainey, Montreal            

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vezina Trophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Vezina Trophy is an annual award "to the goalkeeper adjudged to be 
the best at his position" as voted by the general managers of all 
NHL clubs.

Note:  Prior to the 1981-82 season the award was given to the 
       goaltender(s) on the team with the fewest goals against
       during the regular season.
     
YEAR            WINNER                          
1996		Jim Carey, Washington
1995            Dominik Hasek, Buffalo
1994            Dominik Hasek, Buffalo
1993            Ed Belfour, Chicago             
1992            Patrick Roy, Montreal            
1991            Ed Belfour, Chicago             
1990            Patrick Roy, Montreal           
1989            Patrick Roy, Montreal           
1988            Grant Fuhr, Edmonton            
1987            Ron Hextall, Philadelphia       
1986            John Vanbiesbrouck, NY Rangers  
1985            Pelle Lindbergh, Philadelphia   
1984            Tom Barrasso, Buffalo           
1983            Pete Peeters, Boston            
1982            Billy Smith, NY Islanders       
1981            Denis Herron
                Michel Larocque
                Richard Sevigny, Montreal
1980            Don Edwards                     
                Bob Sauve, Buffalo              
1979            Ken Dryden                      
                Michel Larocque, Montreal       
1978            Ken Dryden                      
                Michel Larocque, Montreal       
1977            Ken Dryden                      
                Michel Larocque, Montreal       
1976            Ken Dryden, Montreal            
1975            Bernie Parent, Philadelphia     
1974            Tony Esposito, Chicago (tie)     
                Bernie Parent, Philadelphia (tie)
1973            Ken Dryden, Montreal            
1972            Tony Esposito                   
                Gary Smith, Chicago             
1971            Ed Giacomin                     
                Gilles Villemure, New York
1970            Tony Esposito, Chicago          
1969            Glenn Hall                      
                Jacques Plante, St. Louis
1968            Rogatien Vachon                 
                Lorne Worsley, Montreal        
1967            Denis Dejordy                  
                Glenn Hall, Chicago
1966            Charlie Hodge                   
                Lorne Worsley, Montreal
1965            Johnny Bower                    
                Terry Sawchuk, Toronto
1964            Charlie Hodge, Montreal         
1963            Glenn Hall, Chicago             
1962            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1961            Johnny Bower, Toronto           
1960            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1959            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1958            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1957            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1956            Jacques Plante, Montreal        
1955            Terry Sawchuk, Detroit          
1954            Harry Lumley, Toronto           
1953            Terry Sawchuk, Detroit          
1952            Terry Sawchuk, Detroit          
1951            Al Rollins, Toronto             
1950            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1949            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1948            Turk Broda, Toronto             
1947            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1946            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1945            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1944            Bill Durnan, Montreal           
1943            Johnny Mowers, Detroit          
1942            Frank Brimsek, Boston           
1941            Turk Broda, Toronto             
1940            Dave Kerr, NY Rangers           
1939            Frank Brimsek, Boston           
1938            Tiny Thompson, Boston           
1937            Normie Smith, Detroit           
1936            Tiny Thompson, Boston           
1935            Lorne Chabot, Chicago           
1934            Charlie Gardiner, Chicago       
1933            Tiny Thompson, Boston           
1932            Charlie Gardiner, Chicago       
1931            Roy Worters, NY Americans       
1930            Tiny Thompson, Boston           
1929            George Hainsworth,Mtl Canadiens 
1928            George Hainsworth,Mtl Canadiens 
1927            George Hainsworth,Mtl Canadiens 
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