NHL Historical Replay

[George_Bell]

The Flames have lots of experience, a bunch of players being on the 1982 champs. The Nordiques hardly have any experience. This is their first real run at a title. Quebec finished with the 2nd best record in the league, and has the statistical advantage over Calgary almost everywhere. Quebec though, relies on Doug Gilmour and Paul Coffey. If those two aren’t scoring, the Nordiques aren’t scoring. Calgary has a more balanced attack.

Quebec’s goaltending situation is weird. Doug Soetaert has played the majority of playoff games, but he’s sitting in the minors for some reason, and only played 12 NHL games during the regular season. Their two regular NHL goalies, Scott Gordon and Karl Friesen have each seen action in the playoffs. I have no clue who will play goal for them.

[George_Bell]

Rick Middleton scores twice, while the Flames top line pairing of Bryan Trottier and Brian Sutter combine for 7 assists. Flames win game one, 5-2. Game two sees Calgary score three straight goals in the 2nd period, to grab a 3-1 lead, but before period ends, Cam Neely and Paul MacDermid score, tying it entering the third period. In the third, Mark Lamb scores early, and David Maley adds the insurance. Quebec ties the series with a 5-3 win.


At 35, Rick Middleton is still scoring for the Flames!

Mark Tinordi and Cam Neely give the Nordiques a 2-0 lead, quieting the home town fans early in game 3. Brian Sutter gets the Flames on the board on a late 2nd period power play. Bryan Trottier would tie it 2 minutes into the third. Quebec responds. Doug Gilmour notches his 9th to give them the lead back, but the lead is short lived, as Marc Bureau ties it 3 minutes later. Overtime! In OT, the owner of 20 career goals over 6 seasons, Michael Dark is the hero, beating Brian Hayward at the 10:12 mark. Quebec wins it 4-3! Game 4 is kind of the opposite of game 3. Calgary jumps out to a 2-0 lead, only to see Quebec score two late in the 2nd to tie it. The teams exchange third period goals to force overtime, and this time, Calgary’s Andrei Lomakin ends it after 16 minutes of extra play. 4-3 Flames!


Mike Dark gets the biggest goal of his career in game three!

After playing to 1-1 stalemate through the first two periods of game five, the Nordiques run into some penalty problems in the third. They take 4 straight minors, and lose Paul Coffey to a 10 minute misconduct for what looks like arguing with the ref. Calgary takes advantage, scoring 3 times in a 6 minute span. Flames win it 4-1. Game 4 hero, Andrei Lomakin opens the scoring of game 6, giving hope to the home crowd that today is the end of the series. Doug Gilmour has other plans though. In the 2nd, Dougie sets up Cam Neely to tie it, scores the go ahead goal, and sets up Paul Lawless who gets an insurance goal. That’s all the scoring. 3-1 Quebec. We go to game 7!


Gilmour is the first star of game 6!

GAME 7



This is Quebec’s 27th game of the playoffs and their 3rd game 7! They crushed in the previous two. Very early in the game, Brad Maxwell finds a lose puck between Nordique defenders, and gets himself a breakaway. He scores to give Calgary the early lead. The lead is short lived. A minute later, Doug Gilmour takes a Paul Coffey pass, and slides it under Brian Hayward to tie it. Both teams score on their first shots of the game. Rick Middleton scores on Calgary’s second shot of the game. Quebec goalie Karl Friesen looks shaky. 2-1 Flames after a period.


Brad Maxwell opens the scoring in game 7!

Quebec was probably the better team in the first, and that continued in the 2nd. They are controlling most of the play, and get rewarded when Cam Neely tipped a Mark Tinordi shot into the Flames goal. 2-2 tie halfway through the game. Near the end of the 2nd, Quebec takes 2 straight penalties, and find themselves short 2 men for almost 2 full minutes. The Flames fail to capitalize, ending the period tied. Is this a huge moment that will cost the Flames a title?

Both teams seem nervous. Penalty after penalty is called in the third, as no team wants to give a step to their opponents. 10 total minor penalties are called. Despite all the penalties, no real offense is generated. The third period shot total ends up just 7-6. With just under 3 minutes left, Doug Gilmour skates with the puck deep in Calgary’s zone. He throws the puck back to the point. Grant Ledyard takes a seeing eye wrist shot which avoids Hayward, and finds the back of the net! 3-2 Quebec with 2:26 remaining! Unbelievably, Cam Neely then takes a roughing penalty. Quebec spends the rest of the game short handed. Calgary doubles their shot total from 3 to 6 trying to tie it, but they can’t. The Nordiques win it 3-2, and take the Stanley Cup!!

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

1988 NHL Offseason News and Notes

Here are the skating leaders from last season.



Here are the goalie leaders from last season.



Here are last seasons playoff leaders.



For the fifth time this decade, Craig MacTavish is the winner of the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward. It’s pretty safe to say that when he retires, I’m naming that award after him. Wayne Gretzky wins his 4th Hart Trophy and his first in 3 years. Doug Gilmour adds a Conn Smythe to his mantle.





Chicago’s Larry Robinson retires at the age of 36. Playing for the Blackhawks means you don’t have much team success, but they were turning it around. This last season saw Chicago come very close to making the finals. Losing Robinson will hurt though. Larry finished his career with 11 double digit goal seasons. 724 points is a franchise record for defenseman. Larry’s number 22 will be retired in Chicago.

Buffalo’s Bill Hajt, a defenseman who spent his whole career as a Sabre has retired. He played 1280 games, registering 602 points and a 68 game rating. He’s 2nd all time in Sabres career scoring. Buffalo will retire his #22. Longtime Islanders goalie, Phil Myre is leaving the game at 39. He had a three year run in NY’s net, registering a record of 112-29-9. Myre is the franchise’s career leader in wins and shutouts. The Islanders will retire his #1.



Winnipeg trades another stud defenseman.



Winnipeg at one time had incredible defenseman to build their team around. Chris Chelios, Scott Stevens, and Al MacInnis. Only one remains. Scott Stevens has been traded to the Bruins! He’s 24, and has 4 straight 60+ point seasons. Stevens also plays a great defensive and physical game. This is an amazing deal for the Bruins. Boston gives up Joe Mullen and a first round pick. Mullen is a 31 year old scoring winger, whose hit 40 goals twice. He’s been a point a game player the last few years, but I can’t imagine him getting better. He’s a first liner at the moment, and if Winnipeg thinks this helps them win a cup next year, I understand it, but I don’t like it for them. They give up the better player, whose 7 years younger.


Stevens heads to Boston.

The Rangers decide to trade Vinny Damphousse after a great playoff!



After 2 strong seasons with the Rangers, Vinny Damphousse is headed to Buffalo. A potential top line center, Damphousse was a key figure in the Ranger run to the third round of the 88 playoffs with 17 points in 15 games. Vinny is a really nice player to build around. Still only 20, his future is bright. I guess the Rangers wanted Jim Vesey. He’s 22 and looks like a 4th line center or checking line center. He’s older and less skilled then Damphousse. He’s got some offense in him, but it hasn’t manifested into results yet. Hate this deal for NY. Doesn’t make a lot of sense. The two players they receive don't have anywhere near the potential or substance they gave up.


The newest Sabre!

Teemu Selanne is the first European player to be selected first overall in the NHL draft. He goes to the Buffalo Sabres, who are one of 4 teams to pass on Mike Modano, who has the highest potential in the draft. Detroit snatches him up at 5! It’s a very talented draft, with potential stars all over the first round.



Two of the most talented players available, Sergei Zubov and Sergei Fedorov are selected back to back in the sixth round by Toronto and LA. I have no clue when and if they will come over to North America to play. We are getting closer to that period when Russians come over regularly, but I don’t know how the game will handle it. Here is a look at top pick Teemu Selanne!



The Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed two player this year. North Stars star Rogie Vachon joins the hallowed halls. The 2nd winningiest goalie in NHL history, Vachon retired the year before Minnesota won the first of two straight Stanley Cups. It’s a bit ironic, that he and his teammate, the other inductee into Hall of Fame both missed out on the North Stars cup wins! Brad Park was a great defenseman. One thing I noticed while looking at his career was his 7 Hart trophy nominations. He lost to Marcel Dionne all the time!



The first team selected in the iron curtain draft, the Bruins, will sign 22 year old Russian defenseman Dmitri Mironov. A huge man, standing 6’4, 224 lbs, Mironov possesses a good shot, and a good brain. He will be solid right away, and looks to me like we will get significantly better with more time. Boston selected him 135th overall in 1984.



The LA Kings are the 2nd lucky team, and they just drafted Sergei Fedorov in the 6th round of this years draft. He’s the best qualifying player, and will immediately sign with the Kings. Fedorov is a 2.5/3.5 star player, so he will probably play as an 18 year old. His biggest asset at the moment is his defensive ratings. They are elite for an 18 year old. His offense isn’t as good as you would expect, but that defense will make him very good right away!



The LA Kings have changed their logo and colours. Here is their new look.

[JaytheGreat]

I would have loved getting one of Selanne, Lidstrom, Blake, or Roenick, but getting the highest potential player in the draft Mike Modano and pairing him Mario Lemieux the Red Wings have a chance to be special if Mario can stay healthy. Every team in the top 8 should be happy with their picks except maybe Pittsburgh.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by JaytheGreat

I would have loved getting one of Selanne, Lidstrom, Blake, or Roenick, but getting the highest potential player in the draft Mike Modano and pairing him Mario Lemieux the Red Wings have a chance to be special if Mario can stay healthy. Every team in the top 8 should be happy with their picks except maybe Pittsburgh.

Tony Amonte aint a bad choice, as long as he develops!

[George_Bell]

1988-89 Season Preview





Player Spotlight

The season preview states Kelly Hrudey of the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo's Patrick Roy are the best goalies in the league. I'm not so sure about that, but now would be a perfect time to take a quick look at their skill sets to see where the game is coming from.



Hrudey is very skilled. He's 27 years old, and in his prime. He's put together several very good regular seasons, and has a few long playoff runs under his belt. The results seem to suggest he is one of the leagues top goalies!



Young Patrick Roy sure looks the part, but his play suggests looks are deceiving. Roy's first two seasons saw a save percentage of .856. Last year that number was .875, but that's not good enough for a goalie who's supposed to be a top player in the league. Roy is certainly capable, but upto this point, he hasn't played like an elite goalie.

[JaytheGreat]

Originally Posted by George_Bell

Tony Amonte aint a bad choice, as long as he develops!

I'm not saying he's a bad player, but there were better players they could have picked.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by JaytheGreat

I'm not saying he's a bad player, but there were better players they could have picked.

That's a fair statment!

[George_Bell]

1988-89 NHL Regular Season

Welcome back Mario Lemieux! In his first 11 games of the season, after his devastating injury last year, Mario records an amazing 28 points!! Because of the injury last year, Detroit had a terrible result, and was able to draft Mike Modano early in round one. If Modano develops, Detroit could have the team to beat for a long long time!


Lemieux gets off to a great start!

I should have noted this last season, but I did not notice. Gilbert Perreault has passed Stan Mikita in all time assists! Perreault finished last year one assists more then Mikita’s 1042! Guy Lafleur might catch them both in time, but for now, congrats to Gilbert Perreault! Here’s a look at the current top 10 all time assist leaders.



Speaking of Lafleur, Guy has just broken Gordie Howe’s record!! Guy Lafleur is the NHL’s all time point leader!! Guy recorded point on December 17th, 1988 with a goal against the North Stars. Here is the top 10 scorers in NHL history! Guy is at the top for the first time!



Doug Gilmour just recorded his 500th career assist in his 569th game! That’s a pretty amazing pace! We are at a point where Gilmour has to be considered one of the top players in the NHL. He’s in the same category as Lemieux, Gretzky, and Yzerman. Gilmour has a Conn Smythe, a Selke, an Art Ross and a Hart trophy. He scores, he defends, and he’s also third in the league in hits this year! Next preseason, it’s time to take a look at his ratings! Hint, they are pretty good!


Gilmour does everything on the ice!

Scott Stevens has helped turned the Bruins into a Stanley Cup favourite. With two thirds of the season finished, the Bruins have hockey’s best record at 35-16-1. Scott Stevens is playing a huge part in the teams sudden rise to prominence. Stevens is on pace for a career best in goals, assists, and points, at more then a point a game. He’s got an 80 game rating and playing 26 mins a game. HOW COULD WINNIPEG TRADE THIS GUY! The Jets currently sit 4 games under .500 while Joe Mullen has 28 points in 49 games…OUCH


Stevens is a force on the blueline!

Having one of the best goalies in the league hasn’t helped the Sabres. Patrick Roy, who I spotlighted in the preseason, isn’t playing up to his ratings. His game rating at the moment is 61, and his save percentage is just .876. His 17-30-6 mark doesn’t look good either. Roy might be the most overrated player in the NHL at this point. He’s done nothing to suggest he’s a good player.


How good is Patrick Roy?

In a year of milestone’s, lets go one more. Wayne Gretzky has just scored his 500th goal. Wayne gets the goal in his 712th game!! At age 28, I’d say Wayne has a few more good years left. Gretzky, since his 3rd season, when he stopped getting hurt, has scored more then 50 every year, and never finished with under 128 points! Gilmour and Lemieux are certainly great, but when I look at Wayne’s career, damn, it’s hard to argue against him!


This card is for sale on ebay for 12 bucks!!

Final Standings



The Flyers win the president’s trophy, now can they get out of the first round. Defending champs Quebec finish under .500, and a few years removed from having the worst run of all time, the Pens have fought their way back into the playoffs!

I’m a little surprised to see the LA Kings fall to last place. Sergei Fedorov played a full season in LA, and put up 67 points, but Denis Potvin has aged, and can’t defend like he used to. 29 year old offensive defenseman Reijo Ruostsalanien still puts up points, but was never good in his own zone. Guy Lafleur had his first sub point a game season in forever. They couldn’t outscore their opponents this year.

Detroit with a healthy Super Mario finish in 2nd. Mario was excellent, with 119 points, but not all world, best player in the league good. I’m very curious to see how the playoffs go in Detroit.

Edmonton makes the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Brian Leetch had a breakout year, and Curtis Joseph pushed starter Ron Hextall out of the net a lot with some great play. When Nick Lidstrom develops, the Oilers will be able to turn some heads!



Brent Sutter really stands out to me here. He’s been underrated for a while, but the league, and this guy, sure noticed his 55 goals this year. Sutter scored 49 goals last year, so obviously, I wasn’t paying attention.

Wayne Gretzky wins the scoring title. He hasn’t done that since 1985. It’s crazy to me that with Gretzky and Messier, Hartford can’t get over .500!

Scott Stevens finished the season with 23 goals and 84 points. Joe Mullen had 20 goals and 42 points. This will go down as a famous one sided robbery! Buffalo’s Vinny Damphousse had a great year on a bad team. He put up 98 points, while the players the Rangers got for him, combined for 43. Well done Sabres!

[George_Bell]

1989 NHL Playoffs


Adams Division

Boston makes quick work out of the Whalers for the 2nd straight season. Boston is 8-1 against the Whale over the last two playoffs. Defending champion Quebec could not stop Montreal from scoring. The Habs put up 31 goals in their 5 game series win! Boston then flips the script on the Habs. Montreal can’t stop the Bruins attack. Boston scores 33 goals in their 5 games defeat of Montreal.



Patrick Division

Philly has officially acquired the choker label. In the last 3 years, the Flyers have three 1st place finishes. They have one playoff series victory in that time, and lose in the first round for the 2nd straight year. The Penguins advance on an overtime goal from Brian Bellows! After losing the first two games at home, the Rangers win 3 straight against the Devils before losing game 6 to force a seventh game. Tied at one, NY’s Iain Duncan scores with 84 seconds remaining, to beat the New Jersey! The Pens Sergei Makarov and Joe Sakic combine for 17 points in their second upset of the playoffs. The Rangers go down in 6 games, sending the Pens to the conference finals!



Norris Division

Going back to 1983, the Leafs have lost 11 straight playoff games to the Blues. They are swept again this year! Mario Lemieux scored 10 goals in Detroit’s first round series with Chicago. The Wings needed every single one of them. With a 40 seconds left in game 7, Lemieux scored the winning goal in an exciting 7-6 Red Wings win! Mario may have used up all his magic in that long series with Chicago. He only manages a goal and an assist against St. Louis. No other Red Wing stepped up. St. Louis sweeps aside Detroit to advance.



Smythe Division

Calgary has a tougher time with the Jets then it appears. Every game was close, but Calgary finishes it in five. The home team won each and every game of the Vancouver/Edmonton series. That means the 2nd seed Canucks advance to the 2nd round for the first time in since 1984. Vancouver then uses a quick start in the 2nd round to help them eliminate the Flames. The Canucks move on to the third round for the first time in franchise history!



Wales Conference Final


Boston’s Paul Ranheim opens the scoring, in a game the Bruins showed their dominance. They outshoot Pittsburgh 14-6 in the first, then 22-7 in the 2nd, but when John Maclean scores in the third, it ties the game at one. Todd Elik would respond for the Bruins a few minutes later. The Pens had no response this time. Andy Moog makes 40 saves for Pittsburgh, but couldn’t get enough offense. Boston wins 2-1. Pittsburgh realizes they need more offense, and make a concerted effort to generate more in game two. The Pens take 39 shots in this one, but only John Maclean can get one by Boston goalie Jon Casey. The Bruins hit the 40 shot mark again, and get 2 goals from Pekka Peltola. It’s another 2-1 Boston win.


Peltola provides all the offense for the Bruins in game two!

Why not make it three in a row. John Maclean scores his third, and the Penguins third goal of the series. Pekka Peltola though gets a goal and an assist. Boston wins again, 2-1! Déjà vu anyone? Game 4 is finally not a carbon copy of the last game. Neal Broten opens the scoring, then 5 other Bruins score before the first period ends. When it’s all said and done, this is a blowout. 8-0 Boston wins, to sweep the Penguins. John Maclean ends up scoring each goal that Pittsburgh got in this series!



Campbell Conference Final


Youngster Luc Robitaille gets his first of the playoffs, opening the series scoring for Vancouver. The lead doesn’t last long. Denis Savard sets up John Ogrodnick and Stan Smyl 30 seconds apart giving the Blues a 2-1 lead after a period. Scott Mellanby ties it in the 2nd, but again, St. Louis responds right away. Mel Bridgman gives the Blues a lead they would not surrender. An insurance goal is scored in the third. 4-2 St. Louis wins game one. Craig Janney and Steve Larmer have the Canucks up 2-1 heading into the third period, as they look to steal game two. The Blues are having none of that. Stan Smyl gets his 10th to tie it, then Wally Schreiber and Adam Oates score 15 seconds apart. 4-2 St. Louis wins again.


Dennis Savard has 4 points in the first two games!

St. Louis grabs a 2-0 lead in game three, and from that point, it was pretty much over. Stan Smyl scores twice, while John Ogrodnick gets 3 points. It’s 5-0 before Vancouver gets on the board in the third. St Louis out shoots the Canucks 64-12. Blues win 5-2. The Canucks give a much better effort facing elimination. Mike Gartner, Mario Marois and Luc Robitaille all score in a 90 second span during the first period of game 4. That’s all the scoring in this game. 3-0 Canucks stay alive.


Mike Liut's shutout extends the series for Vancouver.

Tied at one heading into the third period of game five, Shawn Burr converts a Stan Smyl pass giving the Blues the lead. Clint Malarchuk then turns aside a fleury of shots from the Canucks to seal St. Louis' series clinching 2-1 win. Blues advance in 5!

[George_Bell]

The Bruins haven’t played in for the Stanley Cup since 1966, when they won their 5th cup against the Red Wings. That’s a 22 year drought they will be looking to end. St. Louis is playing in their 3rd finals, having won the Cup in 1983.

Neal Broten is a very underrated player. I never mention him, but he’s really really good. He had a great season. Scott Stevens is the best defenseman in the series. He’s made a huge difference in Boston. The Blues rely on Stan Smyl and Denis Savard. Both teams are very evenly matched, but look at the Bruins power play. If they are converting at that rate, I can’t see the Blues stopping them. St. Louis must stay out of the box!

[enf91]

Originally Posted by George_Bell

John Maclean ends up scoring each goal that Pittsburgh got in this series!

There was a "Die Hard" joke in here, but Pittsburgh screwed it up with that last game.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by enf91

There was a "Die Hard" joke in here, but Pittsburgh screwed it up with that last game.

[George_Bell]

Boston’s pp fired at a 26 percent clip in the regular season. St. Louis took 38 mins in penalties in game one, resulting in 12 Boston power plays. The Bruins then converted 33 percent of those opportunities resulting in 4 goals in a 8-1 thrashing. The Blues can’t afford to have this happen again. Bruins defenseman Scott Stevens and Phil Housley combined for 9 points! The Blues come out motivated in game two. They get 4 different goal scorers in the first period, leading to a 4-0 score. St. Louis manages to stay out of the box for the most part, and Clint Malarchuk had to stop just 11 Boston shots. St. Louis wins 6-0! Denis Savard has 4 points in the win.


Phil Housley is looking great along side Scott Stevens on the Boston blueline!

Chris Kontos scores first for Boston in game three, but the Blues respond. After Adam Oates tied it, Kelly Kisio gives them the lead right before the end of the period. John Ogrodnick makes it 3-1 in the 2nd, and Stan Smyl’s 14th makes it 4-1. Boston would score two quick goals in the third, but the lead proved to be too much, and the Blues two empty net goals concluded the scoring. 6-3 St. Louis. Game four is all St. Louis. It’s 3-1 after a period, with St. Louis scoring another goal in the final seconds of the first. Those goals are backbreakers! It’s 4-1 again after two, but the Bruins have nothing left in the third. When the Blues stay out of the box, they have dominated. 7-1 St. Louis!


If the Blues can win the title, Smyl might be the Conn Smythe winner!

In game five, Boston scores on the PP in the first, Pekka Peltola’s 8th. They score another PPG in the 2nd. St. Louis comes back and scores three straight to take a third period lead. The Blues then start taking more penalties. Neal Broten and Pekka Peltola each score their 2nd of the game on the PP giving Boston the lead back. All in all, Boston goes 4/8 on the PP in a 6-3 win. Stay out of that box St. Louis!! If I told u their weren’t many PP’s in game 6, who would say won? St. Louis leads 2-0 after a period on goals from Stan Smyl and Denis Savard. Savard’s 2nd of the game makes it 3-0 after two. Neal Broten gets the Bruins on the board, but that goal doesn’t come until the 16 minute mark of the third period. St. Louis takes just 4 penalties, which is their key! Blues win 3-1, to capture the Stanley Cup!!

[George_Bell]

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

And that's two more Cups for the Blues than I'll probably ever see in real life. Truly, your world is a paradise, too good for mortal man.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by ThatSeventiesGuy

And that's two more Cups for the Blues than I'll probably ever see in real life. Truly, your world is a paradise, too good for mortal man.

I hear that. I've never seen my Leafs win a cup...come to think about it, they still haven't in my lifetime in this world....damn!!

[George_Bell]

1989 NHL Offseason News and Notes

Here are last season's skating leaders.



Here are last season's goalie leaders.



Here are last season's playoff leaders.



Craig MacTavish wins the Selke again. That’s number 6 for him. HOF is waiting!! Both Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier are named to the first all star team. I’m calling shenanigans! If that duo is truly that good, then the rest of the team would have to be absolutely crap for them to put up losing records year after year. What is going on in Hartford??!!





Calgary suffers a very surprising blow. Two years after acquiring Craig Hartsburg from the Flyers, the 30 year old has decided to retire from the NHL. Calgary’s top defenseman, Hartsburg just had a down season for him, but a good season for anyone else. He retires with 466 points in just 640 games. Calgary gave up Geoff Courtnall for Hartsburg, who has 218 points over the last two years. Most surprising retirement I’ve seen!


Hartsburgh hangs them up at 30!

Several players have retired that will see their numbers in the rafters of arenas around the league. Philadelphia’s Lanny McDonald retires at 36. He spent 3 years in Philly, getting 75 points in his final season. McDonald finished off a HOF career with 616 goals and 616 assists. After a decade in Minnesota, the North Stars will honour his #8. Washington was surprised to Denis Maruk retire. After some tough injuries in the mid 80’s, Maruk’s skills diminished, and he hasn’t been the same player he once was the past 2 years. Maruk holds the NHL record for points in a season with 163. Washington will retire his #11.


Mcdonald, Maruk, Salming, Goring and Clarke

Butch Goring has a part of some amazing King teams, and helped form one of the greatest lines of all time with Guy Lafleur and Robbie Ftorek. Goring was traded to Detroit, where he played 6 years, and won a cup. He retires at age 39 after recording 1400 points!! He spent 13 years with the Kings who will retire his #41. Buffalo’s Borje Salming has retired at 38. Salming is one of the most consistent, and underrated defenseman of all time. He played on some bad teams, but he was always a bright spot. Before signing with Buffalo, Salming helped the now defunct California Golden Seals win a Stanley Cup! Salming finishes his career with 964 points! The Sabres will honour Salming’s number! Finally, Bobby Clarke has retired after a 20 year career. Clarke was part of a dynamic duo with Marcel Dionne on the Penguins for years. He spent many minutes in the penalty box and many minutes celebrating goals. 1480 points and 3042 PIMS! The Pens are retiring his number 7.



Wendel Clark, now part of the 20 goal, 200 PIM club, was just traded from the Whalers to Montreal. NOOOOOOO!! Just NOOOOOO, I am not impressed. I hate this game….


Clark should never be a Hab!!!

After making the huge mistake of dealing Clark, Hartford makes a very smart trade.



Mark Recchi, only 21, is a player that is capable of helping Messier and Gretzky. He’s a 4 star player right now, who still can grow. He just had a breakout season, getting 60 points in Washington. I think this is a great fit, and gives the Whalers another big scorer. They give up Kari Takko and Tommy Albelin. Both are mid tier players, that weren’t helping the Whalers win. When you are under .500, trying to make an impact trade like this makes a lot of sense. Washington probably gives up on Recchi too early. They may regret this.


Recchi joins the Whalers!

Right after that, Washington trades 96 point scorer Michel Goulet to Winnipeg for Joe Mullen. Mullen was terrible as a Jet, after one of the dumbest trades in league history, but the Jets right it somewhat, getting Goulet, whose the better player here. Joe Mullen is actually 3.5 stars, while Goulet is 3, but results are far in Goulet’s favour.


Goulet to the Jets.

Mats Sundin becomes the first Swedish player ever to be taken first overall. He goes to the New York Islanders. Sundin looks the part. He’s got 4.5 star potential, and looks like he has no weakness. Toronto drafts Felix Potvin, which makes my heart happy. Other then Sundin, this looks like a depth draft. Some good players, that probably won’t be great.



The 106th pick in the draft, by the New York Islanders, is young Russian star Pavel Bure!! He might be something someday. Now the Islanders just need to get him to North America! If things work out, this draft could a cornerstone for the franchise!



Buffalo’s Bill Barber has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame! Barber had a short, but wonderful career, all with the Sabres, where he scored 1023 points in 986 games.



The Chicago Blackhawks are the first team selected to sign a Iron Curtain player, but their best, unsigned foreign prospect is 22 year old Scottish forward Tony Hand. Now, for those who aren’t aware, there is a small collection of people who claim Tony Hand might have been the one of the best hockey players ever! They are wrong but who cares. He’s very interesting! Here is an article about him. Here is his hockeydb page, and here is a thread about him on the HFboard.
So ya, I have to sign him for the Blackhawks and see what he becomes!



The Kings are the 2nd team selected. They just got Sergei Fedorov last year, and now will add his countrymen, 18 year old Alexi Zhamnov! The center was picked 109th in this years draft, and is raw, but he’s got a lot of talent, and when he’s ready for the NHL, he’s got a chance to be really good. Expect Zhamnov to spend a few years in the AHL.

[George_Bell]

1989-90 NHL Season Preview





Player Spotlight

Doug Gilmour has become one of the best players in the world. He's a do it all center that dominates on both ends of the ice, and plays a nasty game doing it. Gilmour puts up fantastic numbers, and rivals Mario Lemieux in the impact he provides to his team. Lets take a look at Gilmour in his prime!



Craig MacTavish has become an elite figure in hockey. He's the best defensive forward in the league, and might be the best ever. He also contributes on offense too, getting 70+ points every year. He's spent a long time in Toronto, but joined after their run of winning ended, so he's been the best player on a mediocre to bad team most years. Here's a look at a quiet superstar.