Return of the Dynasty- 1995-96 Montreal Canadiens

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Serge Savard firing rumours swirl as he enters his 13th Season as General Manager

Zach Martineau
August 1st, 1995
The Montreal Canadiens are entering their 3rd season since winning their 24th Stanley Cup in 1993. They just finished the lockout shortened 1995 season with a 18-23-7 record which had them finish 6th in their division, ahead of only the Ottawa Senators who completed just their 3rd NHL season. The Stanley Cup already seems so long ago, despite it's recency, and General Manager Serge Savard is on the hot seat. Savard has been the GM since 1983 and has won 2 Stanley Cups during his tenure. Rumours have circulated that he could be fired before he enters his 13th season as GM but current president Ronald Carey has remained quite on the topic. Even some possible successors have been thrown around with the likes of former Canadiens Rejean Houle and Ken Dryden having a shot at the job. Other candidates include Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Ken Holland and the 26 year old prodigy Braden Martin who's seen as the next Sam Pollock by many in the business, but also seen as someone not quite ready to handle a team by himself. It remains to be seen if Savard will be the GM by the start of the regular season

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Canadiens President Ronald Carey has fired Serge Savard and hired Braden Martin to become the new General Manager

Zach Martineau
August 20th, 1995
The Serge Savard era is over in Montreal as earlier today Ronald Carey held a press conference announcing the news. Carey had this to say about Serge Savard.

“Serge was an excellent player and an excellent general manager who gave his all to the organization on and off the ice. He was instrumental in our two Stanley Cups during his tenure here but there is always a time to move on and this was it. We felt Serge had given it his best effort and that it was best for both parties to go our separate ways. He will be known as a legend here in Montreal for what he’s been able to do for this city, team, and organization. The Montreal Canadiens and I wish him best of luck in his future endeavors" - Ronald Carey

Carey then went on to talk about the new hiring for the GM position, Braden Martin

“Braden is someone that brings a new way of evaluating and analyzing talent and he’s someone who’s highly regarded by a lot of the best in this business. Some believe just because of his young age (26 years) he’s not ready for the role of General Manager but we have full confidence in him to build yet another championship worthy team in this Franchise's history and win a Stanley Cup in the near future.” - Ronald Carey

Martin who was also present at the conference was questioned on what he will do to get this team back to the Stanley Cup Finals

“Serge left behind a team that has a lot of strong building blocks and talent to work with. I strongly believe that we will have this team back to Stanley Cup Winners in no time. We have some top end forwards up front and the best goalie in the world between the pipes. Where I do think improvements could be made are on the backend. I think the talent back there is a little thin and could use an upgrade to make us a better hockey club" - Braden Martin

The final question was asked to Martin on the future of the current Head Coach Jacques Demers

“Jacques will be the coach heading into the season and we will evaluate his performance closely and make our decisions based off what we see. Demers is a great coach who I think will be able to get this team back to cup contention once we give him the pieces to make it happen" - Braden Martin

Only time will tell whether the young Martin will be able to win Les Bleu Blanc et Rouge their 25th Stanley Cup in Franchise History

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Soviet Legend Sergei Makarov was one of four players signed by Montreal

Zach Martineau
September 17th, 1995
Before the start of his first season as the General Manager, Braden Martin has already signed four different players, the biggest being former Soviet superstar Sergei Makarov. Along with Makarov were John Madden, Sami Salo and Brian Rafalski. Here's a rundown on each player and what GM Braden Martin had to say about each of them:

Sergei Makarov RW
Age - 37
Height & Weight - 5'11 185lbs
Shoots - Left
Nationality - Russia
The big signing and player who's going to make the biggest impact on the roster is Sergei Makarov. This will be Makarov's 7th season in the NHL and was a star player for the former Soviet Union national team. When he was at his peak as a player he was on the same level as a Gretzky or Lemieux. However he's now 37 years old and looking like he might be on his final legs. Last season he had 10 goals and 24 points for the Sharks, finishing 5th in scoring for the team. Many don't think he has the legs left to give to a team and would be unable to actually contribute anything meaningful

Makarov is a player who has such a storied career and, was at some points in his career, arguably the best player in the world. Even now at the age of 37 he can still contribute to a hockey club so with his experience and ability we think he'll be a great addition to the Montreal Canadiens. He's still got his legendary speed and acceleration and still has great puck and playmaking skills. We think he'll fit in well with our group of forwards - Braden Martin

John Madden C
The three other signings are all under the age of 22 with Madden being the oldest. Not much is known about any of them other then they are all undrafted and Martin believes each one of them can become a future Montreal Canadien. Madden has spent the past two years at the University of Michigan and last season had 43 points in 39 games. He projects as as future 4th or 3rd line defensive center
Age - 22
Height & Weight - 5'11 190lbs
Shoots - Left
Nationality - USA

"John is one of the three younger players we signed. All three of these guys have a shot at making the team this season but ultimately they are still prospects. I watched John play at the University of Michigan for the past two years and he's really impressed me each time I've seen him play. He's a workhorse who's always looking to get better. The defensive side of his game is already solid and we think eventually he can become a Selke candidate with the right type of training" - Braden Blace

Sami Salo D
Salo spent last season in the Finnish D1 league and even less is known about him then Madden or Rafalski. Martin believes this guy will become a top four D-man of the future so we'll have to trust his judgement.
Age - 21
Height & Weight - 6'3 216lbs
Shoots - Right
Nationality - Finland

"Salo is someone who is not ready for the NHL yet but could eventually be a top four defenseman for us. Salo does have an NHL ready shot and there is no question about that. This guy can absolutely fire the puck as opposing NHL goalies will soon find out in the coming year's. He's a big guy who just needs to become a little bit smoother as a defenseman and be more reliable and consistent." - Braden Martin

Brian Rafalski D
Rafalski has spent the past four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and had 45 points in 43 games last season as a defenseman. He's a smaller defenseman who might struggle against bigger competition but has smooth skating skills and good puck moving ability
Age - 21
Height & Weight - 5'10 191lbs
Shoots - Right
Nationality - USA

"Rafalski is someone who many will just look at his height and immediately right him off as "To Small". That is tunnel vision thinking because Brian is one of the best puck movers I've seen. His ability at distributing and carrying the puck is amazing. To go along with that he has great skating skills and a hard, accurate shot. Rafalski will contribute right away as a Canadien and I think he'll be one of the best if he reaches his full potential" - Braden Martin

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Will Montreal be back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season?

Zach Martineau
September 22th, 1995
The 1995-96 NHL Pre-Season starts tonight and the Montreal Canadiens will look to prepare for another season. After last season's disappointment big changes were made as Serge Savard was fired and Braden Martin was brought in to replace him and get this franchise back to Stanley Cup contention. We'll go over the Canadiens extended roster heading into the pre-season and pick 3 key players who will be relied on to get this team back to the playoffs.

Forwards
Left Wing - Centre - Right Wing
Benoit Brunet - Pierre Turgeon - Mark Recchi
Brian Savage - Vincent Damphousse - Mike Keane
Yves Sarault - Saku Koivu - Sergei Makarov
Donald Brashear - Marc Bureau - Oleg Petrov
- John Madden -
- Darcy Tucker -

Defense
Left D-Man - Right D-Man
Vladimir Malakhov - Patrice Brisebrois
Lyle Odelein - J.J. Daigneault
Stephane Quintal - Brian Rafalski
Yves Racine - David Wilkie

Goalies
Patrick Roy
Jose Theodore


3 Key Players

Patrick Roy
Saint Patrick was the biggest and best player for the 1993 Stanley Cup winning team and he will need to return to that form if they want to win another one. After a rough season last year that saw him win only 17 games and a weak .906 SV%. Roy is still recognized as one of, if not, the best goalies in the league. If he has a season like he has prior then he could single handedly carry this team to the playoffs himself. He's that good.


Pierre Turgeon
The newly appointed captain Pierre Turgeon will be relied on to carry the offense this season after coming over at the deadline in the Kirk Muller trade. Turgeon will be the 1st line center and will have guys around him to work with and succeed with. In the best case scenario, he is able to put up 100 or more points this season and if he does that the Canadiens will be in the playoffs


Saku Koivu
The Montreal Canadiens 1st round selection in the 1993 NHL Draft will be making his NHL debut this season and after lighting up the Finnish league last season (74 points in 45 games) Koivu is expected to contribute and contend for the Calder Trophy for best rookie. He will likely start the season on the 3rd line but will get chances on the top two lines if injuries occur or some players underperform.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Canadiens finished the Pre-Season with measly 3-4 Record

Zach Martineau
October 5th, 1995
The Canadiens Pre-Season has concluded and they finished with a decent 3-4 record. While it's not a great record, the Canadiens were mixing and matching lines to try and find some chemistry with different and new players. The Canadiens started off with a 5-4 win against their rivals in the Boston Bruins but dropped two against the Jets and the Canucks, the Vancouver game being a bad 8-2 defeat. They followed that up with a win against Wayne Gretzky and the Kings and then two more losses against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Devils and weak Ottawa Senators. To finish it off they got some revenge against the Canucks with a 5-0 win. To fit within the NHL roster size, John Madden was sent down to the farm team in Fredericton. He is expected to be up and down throughout the season.

Darren McCarty was selected in the Waiver Draft

Only one injury during the 7 games was an extended one with Oleg Petrov suffering a concussion. He's expected to be out for the next 2-3 weeks. Luckily the Canadiens were able to pick up a replacement for the time being as they selected Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty in the Waiver Draft. McCarty was a 2nd round pick in 1992 and is a grinder who will work for his goals that come usually in front of the net off of rebounds. Canadiens D-Man Marko Kiprusoff was selected by the Avalanche in the draft but he was far down the Montreal depth chart and wouldn't have been an NHLer with the Habs

Here are the lines Montreal will go with as the Canadiens prepare to face the Flyers on Saturday, October 7th

Left Wing - Centre - Right Wing
Damphousse - Turgeon - Recchi
Brunet - Koivu - Keane
Savage - Bureau - Makarov
Brashear - Tucker - McCarty

Left Defense - Right Defense
Malakhov - Quintal
Racine - Brisebois
Daigneault - Odelein

Goalies
Roy
Theodore

Scratched
Brian Rafalski D
David Wilkie D
Yves Sarault LW

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Stephane Richer will be coming back to Montreal

Zach Martineau
October 15th, 1995
Four games into the season and GM Braden Martin has made his first trade in his tenure with Montreal.. and it's for a former player! Stephane Richer of the New Jersey Devils will be coming back to the Habs after 4 seasons. Heading the other way will be centre Marc Bureau, along with a 1995 6th and 9th round pick. Richer won the second Stanley Cup of his career with the Devils this past season and was apart of the 1986 Stanley Cup Champion Canadiens. Richer is one of only three Canadiens players to score 50 goals in a season. The other two? Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Guy Lafleur. Now this obviously isn't prime Richer as he has eclipsed 74 points since he had 91 with Montreal five years ago. He had 23 goals and 39 points last year in 45 games which would equate to 42 goals over a full season, which is promising. Scoring is exactly the reason Martin said he acquired the Quebec native for:

"Stephane obviously is familiar with the Montreal organization and is familiar with scoring goals. I think before this trade we just have to many passers and not enough scorers. So Stephane is here to fix that and he's one of the best at putting pucks in the net. As for Marc Bureau, it was just an unfortunate situation for him here as we had young centre's we wanted to get into the lineup and he was stopping us from doing that. We wish him the best in New Jersey" - Braden Martin

Here is what Richer said about returning to Montreal

"I'm excited to come back and play in front of the best fans in the league. I had my best year's in the NHL here in Montreal and I want to get back to those types of seasons. With the players they have here I think I can do that. In New Jersey I was playing in a more defensive role and now I'm expected to score goals again which is what I want to do" - Stephane Richer

Richer is expected to make his debut against the New York Islanders where the Canadiens will try and improve their record to 3-2-0

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Montreal after the month of October is 1st in the Northeast Division

Zach Martineau
November 1st, 1995

Results
LOSE 6-3 vs Philadelphia Flyers
WIN 3-1 @ Florida Panthers
WIN 4-2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning
LOSE 2-0 vs New Jersey Devils
LOSE 3-2 @ New York Islanders
LOSE 5-0 vs Toronto Maple Leafs
WIN 6-2 vs Los Angeles Kings
WIN 5-2 vs Florida Panthers
WIN 2-0 @ Hartford Whalers
TIED 3-3 vs Chicago Blackhawks
WIN 5-3 @ Boston Bruins
Record: 6-4-1 (Overall: 6-4-1, 13 points), 1st in Northeast

Montreal Canadiens News

October 18th - The Canadiens and Penguins completed a trade that involved Peter Popovic who has been playing in Fredericton so far this season. The Canadiens have been shopping him since he was placed in the minors because while he couldn't crack the roster he and GM Martin believe he can contribute to an NHL Team. Another team that believed that was Pittsburgh as they came calling, inquiring about the Swedish defenseman. Different versions of the deal centered around Popovich were put on the table but ultimately the swap was for a 4th round pick in the upcoming draft.


October 31st - The Canadiens signed Pierre Turgeon's brother, Sylvain to a contract yesterday. Sylvain spent the last three seasons with the Ottawa Senators where he had 19 points in 33 games last year. While he does have good scoring skills, he's very inconsistent with it and can not be relied upon to play defense. He will primarily be used as a top 6 forward replacement when injuries happen because he wouldn't be able to play a bottom 6 defensive role


Who's Hot?
Saku Koivu - The rookie is playing 2nd line minutes now that Damphousse has converted to left wing and he's making the most of it as he has 8 points through the 11 games. On top of that he's playing great defense against some of the best in the NHL. If he keeps this up he will most definitely be a finalist for the Calder Trophy

Mike Keane - Through only 11 games Keane has basically half the points he did last year (20 points) as he has 9 points. Him and Koivu on the 2nd line have found some really good chemistry and are providing secondary scoring to a team that needs it. Let's just hope he's not going to flame out early and will continue this pace.

Jose Theodore - It's a bit surprising how many games the rookie has played considering they have one of the best in Patrick Roy but he's made the most of his opportunities. He's sporting a .920 SV% in 5 games but does have a losing record being 2-3. It'll be interesting to see if the 2nd round pick will continue getting chances or if Roy will start to take over


Who's Not?
Sylvain Turgeon - Nobody on the Canadiens is doing terrible per say but their new Captain and first line center seems to be slacking compared to his two wingers, Mark Recchi and Vincent Damphousse. Turgeon is currently 5th on the team in scoring with 7 points in 11 games which is good, but not good enough for someone as skilled as Turgeon. It's only month one so he has time to kick it into high gear in November

NHL News

Injuries
Murray Craven (CHI) Out 7 Months with a Broken Kneecap
Mark Messier (NYR) Out 2-3 Months with a Grade II Concussion
John MacLean (NJD) Out 1-2 Months with a Broken Collarbone


Player of the Month Honours
Joe Sakic (COL) - 8 Goals 22 Assists 30 Points
Andy Moog (DAL) - 7-3-1 Record .940SV% 1,80GAA


Milestones
October 14th - Brian Bellows 900 Points in Tampa Bay 6-3 Win against Washington (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (31 years Old)
October 21st - Dave Andreychuk 500 Assists in Toronto 5-0 Win against Montreal (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (32 Years Old)
October 24th - Mike Gartner 1200 Points in Toronto Loss against Florida (2 Assists) (36 Years Old)

November Schedule
November 1st - @ Washington Capitals
November 4th - @ Boston Bruins
November 8th - vs Anaheim Ducks
November 11th - @ Calgary Flames
November 12th - @ Vancouver Canucks
November 15th - @ Edmonton Oilers
November 18th - vs Ottawa Senators
November 20th - vs Hartford Whalers
November 22nd - @ Hartford Whalers
November 25th - vs Colorado Avalanche
November 28th - @ Detroit Red Wings
November 29th - @ St. Louis Blues

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Is Head Coach Jacques Demers on the Hot Seat?

Zach Martineau
December 1st, 1995

Results
LOSS 3-0 @ Washington Capitals
WIN 5-2 @ Boston Bruins
WIN 5-2 vs Anaheim Ducks
LOSE 7-4 @ Calgary Flames
LOSE 3-2 @ Vancouver Canucks
LOSE 6-0 @ Edmonton Oilers
WIN 6-2 vs Ottawa Senators
WIN 5-2 vs Hartford Whalers
WIN 5-4 @ Hartford Whalers
LOSE 6-3 vs Colorado Avalanche
LOSE 3-1 @ Detroit Red Wings
LOSE 5-2 @ St. Louis Blues
Record: 5-7-0 (Overall: 11-11-1, 23 points), 2nd in Northeast

Montreal Canadiens News

November 9th - After sending out the news that Defenseman Lyle Odelein was on the trading block the San Jose Sharks came calling looking to acquire Odelein for Mike Rathje, their 3rd overall pick in 1992. Already the Sharks have decided to give up on the 21 year old after just 97 NHL Games. Obviously interested in the defensive defenseman, Martin wanted to get a deal done but he was already finalizing a deal with Florida involving Odelein that he wasn't going to pull back. So he reworked the trade and offered a deal that satisfied Sharks GM Dean Lombardi. Heading to San Jose would be left winger Yves Sarault along with Pittsburgh's 4th and Montreal's 8th round picks in the 1995 NHL Draft while Mike Rathje will head to Montreal. Rathje has played 8 games this season in the NHL but is expected to play in the AHL with Fredericton for the rest of the season


November 11th - 2 Days after completing the deal with the Sharks, the Lyle Odelein to Florida trade was finally completed after different versions of the exchange had fallen through. In the end the trade ended up being:
To Florida
Lyle Odelein D
David Wilkie D
1996 7th and 9th round picks
1997 9th round pick

To Montreal
Robert Svehla D
Radek Dvorak RW

Braden Martin had this to say on the trade:

We had too many defenseman on our depth chart that could be a regular player for an NHL club. We decided early this season that some were going to be moved after evaluating their performances. Unfortunately Odelein and Wilkie were the odd men out. I wish them good luck with their new team. In return we get a guy in Svehla who will be one of the better offensive defenseman on the team but also still has room to grow. Radek Dvorak was someone that we wanted in the deal as well which took some time to iron out but finally we made it work. He's a skilled playmaking forward who will have opportunities to play this season but a good chance to make the roster next year if he takes the steps we think he will - Braden Martin

November 12th - Newly re- acquired forward Stephane Richer has ruptured his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) after colliding with the goal post in the Canadiens 7-4 loss against the Calgary Flames yesterday. Team Doctor’s have said the recovery time will be about 5 months before he’s able to play again. It’s disappointing for Montreal and for Richer who was expecting to have a good season back with his old team. Richer had 3 points through 11 games so far this season. 22 year old John Madden will be called up to the Canadiens in place of Richer


November 25th - Montreal Prospect Radek Dvorak made his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche after injuries to some Canadiens forwards left some spots that needed to be filled. The Avalanche sit atop the the NHL with 33 points and a 16-5-1 record. The big reason for their success has been their scoring prowess as they lead the league in goals with 102, 19 more then the 2nd place Rangers. They showed the Canadiens just how they do it as the Avs won 6-3. Dvorak didn't score any points in the game and was a -1 but said the following after the game:



Who's Hot?
J.J. Daigneault - One of those players you wouldn't notice by box scores but watching the game you would see how effective Daigneault has been on the defensive side of the game. Arguably the best defensive D-man on the team, J.J. has been averaging around 19:00 minutes of ice time a game and been a solid defensive presence every time he's out there.

Pierre Turgeon - Montreal's Captain was on the "Not Hot" section last month but after watching November's games more closely that might have been a bad call. I said he wasn't putting up enough points and didn't pay attention to the high calibre of defense Turgeon was playing while also putting up points. He now has 17 points in 23 games which is second on the Habs behind Recchi with 22. Turgeon has probably been the teams best defensive forward so far this season which is both a good thing and bad thing. Turgeon hasnt really been known as a good defender so has he turned a page in his career or is this team lacking on the defensive end? We'll have to see as the season heads into December.


Who's Not?
Jacques Demers - Something might be brewing in Montreal as Head Coach Jacques Demers has started the 18 year rookie Jose Theodore in more games then Patrick Roy has this season. The continuous descision to name Theodore starter over Patrick Roy is puzzling considering Theodore is sitting with a 5-7-0 record and a SV% of .901. Meanwhile Roy has a 6-4-1 with a .922%. Is there some sort of beef between Demers and Roy or does Jacques truly believe Theodore will win them more hockey games? This situation will have to be monitored closely.

Montreal's Special Teams - The Canadiens Power Play and Penalty Kill has been abysmal this season. The Power Play is 20th in the NHL with a weak 17%. The Canadiens are having troubles scoring goals and that Power Play will need to be fixed to help that problem. The Penalty Kill is even worse as it's second last in the league ahead of only the Los Angeles Kings who have allowed 94 goals against this year to the Habs 73. Both of the units will need to be mixed up if they want to start winning more games.


NHL News

Injuries
Murray Craven (CHI) Out 5-6 Months with a Broken Kneecap
Mark Messier (NYR) Out 1-2 Months with a Grade II Concussion
Shawn McEachern (BOS) Out 3-4 Months with a Ruptured Tendon (Foot)


Player of the Month Honours
Brian Bradley (TBL) - 24 GP 11 Goals 26 Assists 37 Points (5th in Points in NHL)
Martin Brodeur (NJD) - 17 GP 10-4-3 Record .932SV% 1.93GAA 3 Shutouts (1st in Shutouts, 3rd in SV%, 3rd in GAA, 5th in Wins)


Milestones
November 2nd - Ray Ferraro 600 Points in Rangers 3-4 Loss against Washington (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (31 years Old)
November 16th - Dale Hawerchuk 500 Goals in St. Louis 6-3 Win against San Jose (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (32 years Old)

Trades

New Jersey Devils Acquire:
Ulf Dahlen LW (28 Years Old)


San Jose Sharks Acquire:
Petr Sykora RW (18 Years Old)

Trade Analysis - In a trade that surprised many people in the hockey world, 18 year old Petr Sykora was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Swedish winger Ulf Dahlen. Sykora was lighting it up this season as he had 12 points in 13 games. The Czech native was just drafted 18th overall this past offseason and was looking like the steal of the draft. However rumours say Devils management (GM Lamoriello and head coach Jacques Lemaire mainly) and Sykora were not seeing eye to eye whatsoever. Sykora was repeatedly late for meetings, showing up in the wrong attire and skipping mandatory practices. They decided that his on ice performance wasn't enough to cover for his off ice issues. So they shipped him to the other side of the country for two-way forward Ulf Dahlen. Dahlen is recognized as one of the better defensive forwards in the league while still being able to put up points. The trade is a steal for the Sharks who get a potential superstar in the making but the Devils also get another stingy defensive player to add to their defensive powerhouse

December Schedule
December 2nd - vs Detroit Red Wings
December 6th - vs New Jersey Devils
December 7th - @ Pittsburgh Penguins
December 9th - vs New York Rangers
December 12th - @ Winnipeg Jets
December 15th - @ Chicago Blackhawks
December 16th - vs Philadelphia Flyers
December 18th - vs Hartford Whalers
December 20th - @ Buffalo Sabres
December 22nd - @ Pittsburgh Penguins
December 23rd - vs Pittsburgh Penguins
December 26th - @ Washington Capitals
December 28th - @ Tampa Bay Lightning
December 30th - @ Ottawa Senators

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Patrick Roy tells the media he will no longer play for Montreal if Jacques Demers is the Coach

Zach Martineau
December 10th, 1995
Tonight the Montreal Canadiens were beaten 5-1 by the Robitaille led New York Rangers in a poor showing by the Habs. It was after the game where the biggest news came as Patrick Roy declared to the media he will no longer play for Jacques Demers. He uttered the following in the post-game interviews:

"It's ridiculous that I'm sitting here on the bench not being able to help my hockey team. I guarantee we don't lose that game if I'm in the net. Wouldn't happen. It's no offense to the kid either, Theo's (Jose Theodore) going to be a great goalie in this league. But how can you not play me. I've played 12 games all year. 12. It's Bullsh*t. This idiot must be trying to lose games or something. I'll tell you guys right now I'm not playing another game with this clown as the coach. It's either that guys fired or Martin is going to trade me" - Patrick Roy before storming out of the media room

We knew something was going on between these two and where there's smoke, there's fire. As a Habs fan you have to be losing your mind right now. Your franchise goalie who backstopped your team to the Stanley Cup just 3 and a half seasons ago is saying it's either the coach or him leaving. Already GM Braden Martin has a sticky situation on his hands and has to make a decision that could drastically change the future of this hockey club. Does the new guy have the guts to trade the two-time Conn Smythe winner? Or will he meet Roy's demands and fire Head Coach Jacques Demers and find a replacement that will play their star goalie. We'll keep you updated on any breaking news we receive.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Will GM Martin Fire Demers or Trade Roy?

Zach Martineau
December 11th, 1995
Just month's into his first season as GM of the Canadiens, Braden Martin has a decision that could alter the future of this franchise. Following the event's that happened after yesterday's game against the Rangers Patrick Roy made it loud, clear and very public that he will no longer play for the Canadiens under Jacques Demers. While the way he went about it was definitely the wrong one, he does have a very fair reason for not wanting Demers to remain in Montreal. Let's breakdown the reason for the problem, what Braden Martin's options are to handle the problem, and what the repercussions will be for either option he chooses.

The Background:
Jacques Demers is only in his fourth season as coach of the Canadiens and he has put himself in a position where it's likely he will get fired. Demers in his first season as coach of Montreal won the Stanley Cup. That team went to an NHL record 11 overtime games and won 10 of them, all in a row. The main reason for that was Habs goalie Patrick Roy who went 16-4 in the playoffs with a .929 save percentage and won the Conn Smythe trophy. Flash Forward 2 and a half years later and the two are now at opposite ends of the spectrum, their jobs with Montreal on the line, with their fates decided by rookie GM Braden Martin.

The Problem:
Patrick Roy has been an elite goalie for Montreal since his 1986 Cup run where he won his first Conn Smythe trophy. Since then he's won 3 Vezina Trophies, 4 Jennings Trophies and been a first team all star three times. However Roy did have a disappointing season last year with a record of 17-20 and a .906 SV% as the Canadiens missed the playoffs. But nobody could have expected that this season, Patrick Roy would be sharing the crease with a 19 year old rookie goaltender. The 2nd round pick of the Habs in the 1994 Draft, Jose Theodore after the Rangers game has played 16 games this season compared to Roy's 12. If Theodore were actually playing better hockey then this problem would not even be a problem but that's not the case. Theodore has a 7-8-0 record with a 3.41 GAA and .902 Save %. You can see why Roy is frustrated when he's sporting a 7-4-1 record with a 2.77 GAA and .918 Save %. After watching the 5-1 Loss from the bench it must have pushed Roy over the edge and have the rant at the media.

Option #1 - Fire Jacques Demers
The more likely of the two options is Jacques Demers is on his way out of Montreal. Demers has had success in his relatively short time with the Canadiens but when you clash with the team's best player then your almost always going to be the one out, not the player. The real question is who would be able to replace the spot on the bench? Let's look at some of the best coaches available.


Barry Trotz
The young 33 year old is similar to GM Martin in the fact they are both young and making noise in their positions. The Winnipeg native is known as the next best thing in terms of coaching and is just waiting until the opportunity arises. His best skill is his ability to change tactics on the fly, mid-game and catch the opponents off guard.


Bob Johnson
The former head coach of the Calgary Flames and Penguins is a veteran compared to some other candidates and is one of the best at growing young players. He's a players coach that hasn't had a bad thing said about him by a former player. He's a big motivator on the bench which could be something the Canadiens need.


John Ferguson
What better coach to bring in then a former player who has had loads of success (5 Stanley Cups) on the same team they're playing as. Ferguson hasn't coached since 1986 but rumour is he's looking to get back into it after managing the Jets and scouting for the Senators in the past. Ferguson is not what you would call a player's coach but will not constrict offense and creativity. He'll tell you how it is and maybe some Habs players could use that


Ken Hitchcock
The former assistant coach of the Flyers, Hitchcock has been waiting for his head coaching role to be offered and it could be in Montreal. He's a defense first coach that wants all his players to be able to play defense. He doesn't care if your the first line winger or bottom pairing defenseman, if you can't play defense you won't play. It's difficult to say if that type of coaching scheme would work in Montreal at the moment but it would certainly help the team's defense.

Braden Martin
The most out of the ballpark option is the current General Manager Braden Martin takes Demers place behind the bench himself. While known more as a manager then coach he does have history at the position at the junior levels where he excelled. However he hasn't been behind the bench of a team in over 5 years. It's unlikely to happen but the option should at least be thrown out there, just in case

Option 2 - Trade Patrick Roy:
In a world where rookie GM Martin has the guts to trade the goalie that has backstopped them to two Stanley Cups, is a world where there will be a lot of suitors. There are only around 4-6 teams that would likely not be interested in a Patrick Roy trade, mostly due to their strength at the position already. Those teams would be the following:

New Jersey Devils (Martin Brodeur)
Buffalo Sabres (Dominik Hasek)
Chicago Blackhawks (Ed Belfour)
New York Rangers (Have Mike Richter and wouldn't want to mess with Team Chemistry)
Detroit Red Wings (Have Vernon and would have to give up more assets for Roy)
Washington Capitals (21 year old Jim Carey, 9 years younger then Roy)

Now what kind of package would a player like Roy attract? If the Canadiens would move into a rebuilding stage after trading Roy they would likely have a minimum asking price of a Top Prospect, 2 roster players (1 Skater, 1 Goalie) and 2 first round picks. Let's see what kind of trades the Canadiens could receive based off those requirements


Trade #1 - Dallas Stars trade Jarome Iginla, Richard Matvichuk,1996 and 1997 1st Round Picks

Pros - Jarome Iginla will be a future star in the NHL and would be perfect in Montreal. Matvichuk is a solid defenseman who can contribute now but is still young. Two First Round Picks for the '96 and '97 Drafts

Cons - No NHL level Goalie replacement


Trade #2 - San Jose Sharks trade Petr Sykora and Miikka Kiprusoff

Pros - Sykora comes with his problems (Off-Ice Issues) but is 19 and already close to a point-per-game player. Would help the team now and big part of the future. Kiprusoff is one of, if not the best goalie prospect in hockey. He's the best replacement you will find in the form of a prospect

Cons - No NHL level goalie replacement, Sykora has off ice issues that already got him traded once. No Draft Picks


Trade #3 - Los Angeles Kings trade Kimmo Timonen, Byron Dafoe, Robert Lang and 1996 1st Round Pick
Pros - Timonen is arguably the best defenseman prospect in the league so adding that to a team that has mutiple up and coming D-Men would be huge. Dafoe is only 24 and already a starting level goaltender. Lang is also 24 and could end up being a competent 2nd line center once he reaches his peak. 1st Round Pick is important for building the prospect pool

Cons - No Top-End prospect, Only 1 Draft Pick

Those are the trades the Canadiens would be looking at if they were to try and rebuild their team. How about we now look at what they could acquire if they wanted to continue to try and contend.


Trade #1 - Vancouver Canucks trade Alexander Mogilny, Russ Courtnall, Kirk McLean, 1996 2nd Round Pick

Pros - Canucks get a russian star in Mogilny who will score goals in bunches. Montreal is familiar with Courtnall's game and know he will be flying all over the ice causing turnovers and getting breakaways. Captain Kirk will fill in for empty goalie spot

Cons - No defensive help which is probably Canadiens biggest need. Courtnall and possibly Mogilny already past their peaks as players


Trade #2 - Boston Bruins trade Jozef Stumpel, Don Sweeney, Ted Donato, 1996 2nd Round Pick

Pros - Stumpel is a young player who's already solitified himself as a 2nd line center. Could possibly be a future 1st line center if he continually gets better. Sweeney is a solid D-man who would add depth to the Canadiens back end. Donato is a solid winger who would serve as a 3rd line guy

Cons - Trade with a rival that could/will haunt them. No NHL level goalie in return


Trade #3 - Toronto Maple Leafs trade Felix Potvin, Kenny Jonsson and Benoit Hogue

Pros - Felix Potvin is a solid young goalie who would become the Canadiens starting goalie immediately. Kenny Jonsson is a dependable defenseman who still has age on his side and would be a top four defenseman already. Benoit Hogue is a speedy two way forward who can operate on the 3rd line and 1st PK unit.

Cons - Trade with Rival, both skaters are defensive minded players

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Jacques Demers will no longer be coach of the Canadiens after Patrick Roy's rant

Zach Martineau
December 12th, 1995
Note to anyone trying to keep their job as head coach in the NHL, don't make your star players angry. Jacques Demers could have used that information as he is no longer head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Demers, after coaching 243 games with the Habs, finished with a 121-94-28 and won a Stanley Cup in 1993. Realistically, Demers ended his time as coach by himself for his refusal to play his star goalie more then a rookie. When your doing that and not even getting good results then their is a problem. After GM Martin announced the decision to fire Demers he also made this announcement:

"With Jacques now no longer apart of the Canadiens organization, I will take over as interim head coach until we decided what the plan will be going forward. I could remain as coach if things go well but it all depends on the fit and how the team performs." - Braden Martin

We will get to see Martin's first game as coach tonight when the Canadiens play in Winnipeg against the Jets, looking to bounce back after their 5-1 loss to the Rangers.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Patrick Roy stopped 32 of 34 shots, resulting in a 5-2 win for the Habs

Zach Martineau
December 12th, 1995
In his first game as an NHL coach, Braden Martin got his first win. The Canadiens were able to score 5 goals against the Jets while Patrick Roy stopped 32 shots, only allowing 2 against. It wasn't the best defensive game the Canadiens have had as they allowed 34 shots on net while only having 25 of their own. They did have a good shooting night as they were able to get four past Khabibulin before Pierre Turgeon iced the game with an empty netter. Recently acquired from Florida, Robert Svehla was named 1st star of the game as he had two assists in the contest. Frenchman Yves Racin was named second star after scoring a goal and adding 1 helper. 3rd star went to Captain Turgeon after scoring two goals against the now 12-17-1 Winnipeg Jets. Here is what Coach Martin had to say about the game.

"I'm glad the guys got the win out there but in reality we didn't have the best game. We got outshot 34-25 and without Patrick Roy in net we might not win that game. We had a lucky shooting night and we can't rely on that to happen every game. We'll work on some things and come back stronger next game." - Braden Martin

The Habs will have two days off before heading to Chicago to face former Canadien Chris Chelios and the Blackhawks.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

What Teams and Players have surprised and disappointed this season?

Zach Martineau
December 25th, 1995
As we near the end of the year and look to start the second half of the NHL season let's take a look at some of the biggest surprises and disappointments so far this season:

The Surprises

Luc Robitaille and Ray Ferraro
"Lucky" Luc Robitaille has been on fire this season after many thought he was starting to hit the end of his prime years as a hockey player. He is leading the league in Goals with 33, 5 ahead of 2nd place Brett Hull. Robitaille has had no problem finding the back of the net and it's because of the new found chemistry with Ray Ferraro. Both are in their first seasons as New York Rangers, Robitaille coming from Pittsburgh and Ferraro from the rival Islanders. The chemistry the two have found is clear as Ferraro is 3rd in the NHL for assists this season with 32 behind only Joe Sakic and Brian Bradley. It's interesting the two work so well together considering both players were known more as a goal scorers but Ferraro has changed his style of play that suits Robitaille's perfectly. Ferraro has only 7 goals on the season but that's no problem for him if he can put up points feeding Robitaille all year. Robitaille is not only in the goal scoring race but also the Art Ross race as he's one point behind Joe Sakic who has 61 points to Luc's 60. Currently the Rangers are 2nd in the Atlantic Division, behind the Devils, with a 20-13-4 record.


Brian Bradley
The Tampa Bay Lightning may have them a star in the form of Brian Bradley. It seems that the 30 year has taken a huge step in his 12th season as an NHLer. Already, Bradley has 10 more points then last season in 11 less games. With 50 points in 35 games he is on pace for an 117 point season in 82 games. That would smash his previous record of 86 points and solidify him as one of the best players in the NHL. He is 2nd in assists in the NHL behind only "Burnaby Joe" A big part of success has been because of his new winger this season, former Canadien Brian Bellows. After such a big disappointment last season (16 points in 41 games) Montreal traded him for Marc Bureau who has already been shipped away. Bellows bounced back big time this season with 32 points in 35 games so far.


Doug Gilmour
Killer didn't have the greatest of years during the lockout shortened season as he was far from a point a game player and wasn't even close to the 117 points he had 2 seasons ago. He's now in his third season as Leafs captain and he has bounced back and showed he's still got it. Gilmour has 50 points through 35 games and is leading the Maple Leafs in points by 9. Him and Mike Gartner have found some good chemistry on the first line and are working well together. The Leafs have a team that could make some noise in the playoffs this season. They got a stud of a top line with Andreychuk, Gilmour and Gartner, a #1 center on the 2nd line in Mats Sundin, a great veteran defenseman in Larry Murphy, and a young flashy goalie in "The Cat" Felix Potvin. They are a dark horse for the Cup this season.

The Disappointments


Philadelphia Flyers
Just last season the Philadelphia Flyers were looking like an absolute powerhouse. They had finished the season atop the Atlantic Divison and were seen as one of the Stanley Cup favourites. Eric Lindros was named the MVP and the Legion of Doom was wrecking havoc on the NHL. They made it to the Conference Finals before falling to eventual champion Devils. That same Flyers team a year later is dead last in the Atlantic Division and 3rd last in the NHL. So what's happened to this team? The majority of the blame has to be put on the goalies. Ron Hextall has been atrocious this season, allowing 3.54 GAA per game which is a huge spike compared to the 2.89 he had last season. Injuries have also been a factor as Lindros, LeClair and Brind'Amour have all missed time so it's been hard for the team to get going. Even with those problems the Flyers are heavily underperforming and need to get things turned around quickly or they will miss the playoffs and waste a year of their star players primes.


Calgary Flames
Another team that was formerly atop their division last season, the Flames are now 5th in the Pacific division with a 13-18-4 record. The situation is similar to the Flyers in that the goaltending has been weak at best, especially from backup Dwyane Roloson who is 1-9 with a .882 SV%. However the real blame for their goalie troubles is on Flames GM Doug Risebrough for allowing last year's starter Trevor Kidd unprotected in the Waiver Draft. It was a decision heavily scrutinized by many Flames fans, and rightfully so, after the 23 year old had a great season last year in just his 2nd season. Now the Flames are left without a true starting goaltender and will need to look to the trade market for help.


Cam Neely
It seems all those years of fighting, big hits and big goals are behind the 3 time 50 goal scorer. In 30 games this season Neely has only managed to score 6 goals and put up 9 points. That's a far cry from the 41 points in 42 games last season and even farther from the 50 goal season just two years ago. He just hasn't been able to get anything going this season and it's hurt the Bruins as they are now 4th in the Northeast Division and are out of a playoff spot. Even trade rumours have begun to swirl with Neely's name frequently being thrown around. Don't be surprised if his 10 consecutive seasons as a Bruin comes to an end this season.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Can the Canadiens start to string together some wins after a .500 month?

Zach Martineau
January 1st, 1996

Results
WIN 3-2 vs Detroit Red Wings
WIN 3-2 vs New Jersey Devils
WIN 6-5 @ Pittsburgh Penguins
LOSE 5-1 vs New York Rangers
WIN 5-2 @ Winnipeg Jets
LOSE 5-2 @ Chicago Blackhawks
TIE 2-2 vs Philadelphia Flyers
LOSE 5-2 vs Hartford Whalers
WIN 4-2 @ Buffalo Sabres
LOSE 5-1 @ Pittsburgh Penguins
LOSE 7-1 vs Pittsburgh Penguins
WIN 2-1 @ Washington Capitals
LOSE 3-1 @ Tampa Bay Lightning
WIN 5-4 @ Ottawa Senators
Record: 7-6-1 (Overall: 18-17-2, 38 points), 2nd in Northeast

Montreal Canadiens News

December 27th - The rumour mill in Montreal has been churning as of late and the insider info is that the Canadiens are looking to acquire a second line winger. According to some news outlets, the Habs have been asking teams about certain players and are specifically looking for a goal-scoring winger who isn't a liability on the defensive end. Reports say teams that have been in trade talks are the Flames and Bruins, centered around Gary Roberts and Cam Neely, respectively. What is believed to be heading the other way in any trade is Brian Savage. The 24 year old Savage has fallen out of the top 6 and has been one of the worst defensive players on the team, showcased by his team worse -12 +/- rating.



Who's Hot?
Brian Rafalski - Likely the best move Braden Martin has made so far for Montreal was signing undrafted college player Brian Rafalski. Before the season he wasn't even expected to make the team but after a good camp he was one of the last players to make the cut. Under Jacques Demers he was an occasional healthy scratch but has been on fire since coming back from injury. Rafalski put up 9 points in the month of December in the 8 games he played. The 22 year old now has 16 points on the year and is second on the team for defenseman scoring (Malakhov with 20). The most impressive thing is the kid has only played 20 games to Malakhov's 31. He's been one of the best rookies so far this season and will be a big part of the future for this team

Sergei Makarov - After being moved up to the second line in place of Brian Savage, Sergei Makarov has been doing great as he had 11 points in 14 games this month. Now on a line with Koivu and Keane, the 37 year old veteran has been more then keeping up with his linemates. However this will likely not be a long term situation with rumours of a second line winger acquisition clouding. Either way Sergei has been solid playing top 6 minutes.


Who's Not?
Braden Martin - While they were able to get a win in his coaching debut, the Canadiens were unable to win back-to-back games for the rest of the month and lost two in a row to the division rival Penguins. While it may not necessarily be Martin's fault, it's tough to put blame on any particular for their struggles.

Getting shots on Net - Recently the Canadiens have mightily struggled to get enough shots on net during their games. They were badly outshot against the Penguins (45 to MTL 23), Lightning (37 to MTL 22), Penguins again (37 to MTL 22) and even the Hartford Whalers (45-25). To score goals you have to get shots on net and the Habs have not been getting enough to win games.

NHL News

Injuries
Murray Craven (CHI) Out 4-5 Months with a Broken Kneecap
Stephane Richer (MTL) Out 3-4 Months with a Ruptured UCL
Shawn McEachern (BOS) Out 2-3 Months with a Ruptured Tendon (Foot)
Brad McCrimmon (HAR) Out 3-4 Months with a Ruptured Tricep Tendon
Oleg Tverdovsky (ANA) Out 1-2 Months with a Torn Abdominal Muscle


Player of the Month Honours
Mario Lemieux (PIT) - 34 GP 22 Goals 33 Assists 55 Points
Mike Vernon (DET) - 28 GP 20-5-3 Record .926SV% 1.85GAA 5 Shutouts


Milestones
December 3rd - Craig MacTavish 1000 Games in Philadelphia 5-1 Win against Washington (1 Goal) (37 years Old)
December 3rd - Petr Klima 300 Goals in Tampa Bay 5-2 Loss against Pittsburgh (2 Goals) (31 years Old)
December 9th - Neal Broten 900 Points in New Jersey 4-3 Win against Islanders (1 Assist) (36 years Old)
December 11th - Luc Robitaille 900 Points in Rangers 4-3 Win against Dallas (1 Assist) (29 years Old)
December 3rd - Kirk Muller 500 Assists in Islanders 7-2 Win against Florida (2 Goals, 1 Assist) (29 years Old)
December 3rd - Mario Lemieux 750 Assists in Pittsburgh 5-0 Win against Florida (1 Goal, 2 Assists) (30 years Old)
December 3rd - Jari Kurri 750 Assists in Los Angeles 4-1 Win against Anaheim (2 Assists) (35 years Old)


1995-96 Player Polls
Best Skater - Phil Housley, Calgary Flames
Hardest Shot - Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues
Smartest - Wayne Gretzky, Los Angeles Kings
Toughest - Stu Grimson, Philadelphia Flyers
Fastest - Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings
Best Role Model - Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings
Cleanest - Joe Mullen, Boston Bruins
Toughest Goalie to Beat - Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
Coach you would most like to play for - Scotty Bowman, Detroit Red Wings


Coach Hirings / Firings
The Winnipeg Jets have fired Head Coach Terry Simpson and have hired Barry Trotz. Simpson was entering his second season as Head Coach after coaching only 15 games the season prior. The Jets have opted to finish the season with rookie coach Barry Trotz who is just 33 years old. Trotz was formerly a scout for the Washington Capitals from 1988 to 1991.

January Schedule
January 3rd - @ New York Rangers
January 4th - @ New York Islanders
January 6th - vs Buffalo Sabres
January 8th - vs Tampa Bay Lightning
January 10th - vs Vancouver Canucks
January 12th - @ Pittsburgh Penguins
January 13th - vs St. Louis Blues
January 17th - @ Ottawa Senators
January 22nd - vs Tampa Bay Lightning
January 25th - @ Florida Panthers
January 27th - vs Winnipeg Jets
January 28th - vs Boston Bruins
January 31st - vs Washington Capitals

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Former Rival Cam Neely is the newest member of the Montreal Canadiens

Zach Martineau
January 4th, 1996
The Montreal Canadiens have made a huge splash as they acquire four time all star Cam Neely from the Boston Bruins. The full trade is as follows

To Montreal
Cam Neely RW
Hal Gill D

To Boston
Yves Racine D
Oleg Petrov RW
1996 3rd Round Pick
1996 4th Round Pick

Heading to Boston is two players and two draft picks. Yves Racine recently found himself no longer a regular in the lineup after Martin became coach and he had been a healthy scratch for a few weeks now. Oleg Petrov has been with the Canadiens since he was drafted in 1991 and was apart of the 1993 Cup winners. The Russian 24 year old was playing 4th line minutes and just becoming an NHL regular after 3 years of partial seasons. While the Bruins may value the picks for the upcoming draft it's not a whole lot of value considering they are getting someone who just a year ago was a point a game player and scored 27 goals in 42 games. Neely has had a very, very rough year as he has scored just 8 goals and 12 points through 34 games. What GM/Coach Martin is hoping for is that he needed a new change of scenery after 9 and a half seasons in Boston. The former 9th overall pick will be given ever chance to succeed in Montreal and will be free to play his game which is scoring goals. He's even been able to stay away from the injuries this season which have effected him for most of his career. And let's not forget the Habs also got 6'7, 20 year old defenseman Hal Gill. The monster defenseman was drafted in the 1993 Draft in the 8th round. He's taken big strides since his draft year and projects as a future shutdown defenseman. The deal was completed after the Canadiens lost to the Rangers 4-3 where they again were outshot 34 to 25. They will play the Blueshirts again tomorrow where Neely will make his debut as a Canadien. Cam Neely will wear the number 88 on his Jersey after Mark Recchi offered his #8 number but Neely declined. Montreal also plays the Bruins later this month where Neely will have the chance to play his former team. Here are the projected lines for the game tomorrow

Forwards
Damphousse - P.Turgeon - Recchi
Keane - Koivu - Neely
Brunet - Tucker - Makarov
Savage - Madden - McCarty

Defense
Malakhov - Brisebois
Daigneault - Rafalski
Quintal - Svehla

Goalies
Roy
Theodore

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Montreal is gearing up for a potential playoff run as they acquire Juneau from Washington

Zach Martineau
February 1st, 1996

Results
LOSE 4-3 @ New York Rangers
WIN 5-2 @ New York Islanders
WIN 4-3 vs Buffalo Sabres
WIN 2-1 vs Tampa Bay Lightning
TIE 3-3 vs Vancouver Canucks
LOSE 7-1 @ Pittsburgh Penguins
WIN 6-5 vs St. Louis Blues
WIN 4-3 @ Ottawa Senators
WIN 6-1 vs Tampa Bay Lightning
TIE 2-2 @ Florida Panthers
WIN 4-2 vs Winnipeg Jets
WIN 3-0 vs Boston Bruins
TIE 3-3 vs Washington Capitals
Record: 8-2-3 (Overall: 26-19-5, 57 points), 2nd in Northeast

Montreal Canadiens News

January 22nd - Pauli Jaks Signing
With Patrick Roy already out with an injury and Jose Theodore now hurting from back pain, Montreal decided to go out and sign Swiss native Pauli Jaks to a one year contract. He was going to be the interim starting goalie as Martin Brochu and Patrick Labrecque, who are in the AHL, were not ready to be starting NHL Games. Not much was expected of the 24 year old in just his second game in the NHL. He had previously played a game for the Los Angeles Kings last season but was not re-signed. In just his first game for the Habs he stopped 31 of 32 shots and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. Is it just a one game wonder or have the Canadiens found a diamond in the rough here?


January 27th - Joe Juneau Trade
Montreal had been shopping Brian Savage for the past month or more and they finally found a buyer in the Washington Capitals. What was not expected was such a valuable return as the Canadiens were able to acquire 28 year old Joe Juneau in the trade. The Full Trade looked like this

Canadiens Acquire:
Joe Juneau C/LW, 28
Joe Reekie D, 30

Capitals Acquire:
Brian Savage LW, 24
Stephane Quintal D, 27
1997 4th Round Pick
1997 6th Round Pick

So the Canadiens get double Joe's in Juneau and Reekie. Reekie is one of the better defensive defenders in the league but won't give you much more then that. Obviously the big fish is Pont-Rouge Quebec native Juneau. He's been almost a point a game player this season with 43 points in 44 games in Washington. While he has been playing the majority of the season at centre with the Caps he will likely be moved to the Left Wing in Montreal. It sounds like he will start the season on the second line with Koivu and Neely but don't be surprised if he moves up to the first line LW at some points down the road.


Who's Hot?
Sergei Makarov - For the second week in a row Sergei Makarov makes the Hot category as he continues to chug along this season, now alternating with Neely between the second and third line. He had 11 points in the 13 games during January and has been one of the most consistent forwards offensively, outside the first line. Look for him to get more opportunities after two great months of hockey

Pauli Jaks - He's only played three games so far for Montreal but the 24 year old Swiss goalie has two wins and a tie along with a .949 save percentage. With Patrick Roy and Jose Theodore both out with injuries Montreal signed him to a contract and he has been everything and more the team could ask for. He's now the full time Backup goaltender with Theodore being sent to Fredericton in the AHL. He's still young and could develop into a starting goalie if he can keep getting better



Who's Not?
Cam Neely - He started off strong with 6 points in his first 8 games but he's been held scoreless in the last four. He's still been decent for the Habs but there's room for improvement. Him and Sergei Makarov have been dueling it out for the 2nd line right wing spot and the Russian has been out battling him on the scoresheets. He could find himself demoted to the 3rd line full time next month

NHL News

Injuries
Murray Craven (CHI) Out 3-4 Months with a Broken Kneecap
Stephane Richer (MTL) Out 2-3 Months with a Ruptured UCL
Brad McCrimmon (HAR) Out 2-3 Months with a Ruptured Tricep Tendon
Shawn McEachern (BOS) Out 1-2 Months with a Ruptured Tendon (Foot)
Pat LaFontaine (BUF) Out 1-2 Months with Torn Triceps
Mario Lemieux (PIT) Out 1-2 Months with a Detached Retina
Tomas Sandstrom (PIT) Out 1-2 Months with a 3rd Degree MCL Sprain
Alexander Karpovtsev (NYR) Out 1-2 Months with a Broken Hand


Player of the Month Honours
Jaromir Jagr (PIT) - 50 GP 31 Goals 47 Assists 78 Points
Tom Barrasso (PIT) - 29 GP 22-3-3 Record .927 SV% 1.93 GAA 3 Shutouts


Milestones
January 4th - Kirk Muller 300 Goals in Islanders 5-2 Loss against Montreal (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (29 years Old)
January 11th - Scott Stevens 1000 Games in New Jersey 4-3 Win against San Jose (31 years Old)
January 27th - Brian Bellows 1000 Games in Tampa Bay 4-2 Loss against St. Louis (31 years Old)
January 31st - Brian Bellows 500 Assists in Tampa Bay 5-2 Loss against Pittsburgh (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (31 years Old)

Trades

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire:
Russ Courtnall RW, 31


Vancouver Canucks Acquire:
Gary Suter D, 31

Analysis
The Chicago Blackhawks (29-20-3) trade away their second best defenseman Gary Suter in exchange for the Vancouver Canucks (21-23-5) Russ Courtnall. Suter is an offensive defenseman who has had a great season with 34 points in 45 games. Meanwhile speedster Russ Courtnall has had a poor season with only 18 points in 49 games played. Courtnall only played 13 games last year due to injuries and he had 18 points in those games so it's fair to say he's having a bad season. It looks like a big win for the Canucks in this trade but Courtnall may be able to turn it around on a Chicago team that has some dangerous forwards in Roenick, Daze and Amonte. Suter will likely become the #1 D-Man for the Canucks and will be a key contributor in their hunt for a playoff birth.

February Schedule
February 1st - @ Philadelphia Flyers
February 3rd - @ Toronto Maple Leafs
February 5th - @ Colorado Avalanche
February 7th - @ Dallas Stars
February 10th - vs Ottawa Senators
February 12th - vs San Jose Sharks
February 15th - @ New York Rangers
February 17th - vs Calgary Flames
February 21st - @ Hartford Whalers
February 23rd - @ New Jersey Devils
February 24th - vs Pittsburgh Penguins
February 26th - @ San Jose Sharks
February 28th - @ Anaheim Mighty Ducks

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Will the Canadiens make any moves to try and bolster their roster before the Trade Deadline?

Zach Martineau
March 1st, 1996

Results
LOSE 5-2 @ Philadelphia Flyers
TIE 4-4 @ Toronto Maple Leafs
WIN 3-1 @ Colorado Avalanche
LOSE 3-1 @ Dallas Stars
WIN 4-3 vs Ottawa Senators
WIN 3-2 vs San Jose Sharks
WIN 5-4 @ New York Rangers
TIE 1-1 vs Calgary Flames
LOSE 5-0 @ Hartford Whalers
LOSE 4-1 @ New Jersey Devils
WIN 3-1 vs Pittsburgh Penguins
WIN 2-1 @ San Jose Sharks
WIN 5-4 @ Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Record: 7-4-2 (Overall: 33-23-7, 73 points), 2nd in Northeast

Montreal Canadiens News

February 15th
GM/Coach Martin signs two Swedish players in forward Andreas Dackell and defenseman Nicolas Havelid. Dackell is expected to play for the Canadiens immediately. He's a 23 year old who can play both wings and is seen as a defensive player who can make plays on offense when needed. He's still relatively young so it's believed he still has room to grow. Meanwhile Havelid is 22 years old and will play for the Fredericton Canadiens in the AHL for at least the rest of the season. He's a well rounded defenseman who just needs to grow his game before he can become a NHLer.


February 16th
With the signing of Dackell, the Canadiens had to place a player on waivers and that ended up being Darren McCarty. In the same way he was acquired by the Habs, McCarty will be leaving for the Buffalo Sabres who claimed him. McCarty was not the best in his time in Montreal and was going to be replaced sooner or later and his time was ticking.


Who's Hot?
Sergei Makarov - Count it as the third month that Makarov makes the Hot list as he's been firing on all cylinders lately. In the past five games he has 6 points and has earned the second line spot over Cam Neely. Makarov keeps on producing and the Canadiens keep on having above .500 months. There's even rumours Braden Martin already signed him to an extension for next year but that has not been confirmed nor denied as of now


Who's Not?
Mark Recchi - Talk about a rough month for Mark Recchi. After 2 points in his first two games in February, Recchi went on a 10 game cold streak where he didn't have a single point. When your someone who's as good and get's as many minutes as Recchi does you can't have that happen. He did end the last game of the month vs Anaheim with a two goal performance so hopefully that leads into a good month of March

Mike Keane - Obviously after being moved to the third line with the addition of Juneau meant Keane was going to dry up offensively. What wasn't expected and a bit troubling for the Canadiens is Keane's defense was weak and didn't look good. On a line with Tucker and Neely he needs to step up his defensive game again or the Canadiens could be looking to trade their assistant captain

NHL News

Injuries
Glen Murray (PIT) Out 7 Months with a Ruptured MCL
Doug Gilmour (TOR) Out 3-4 Months with a Torn Acetabular Labrum
Robert Reichel (CGY) Out 2-3 Months with a Torn Back Muscle
Murray Craven (CHI) Out 2-3 Months with a Broken Kneecap
Stephane Richer (MTL) Out 1-2 Months with a Ruptured UCL
Brad McCrimmon (HAR) Out 1-2 Months with a Ruptured Tricep Tendon
Pat LaFontaine (BUF) Out 1-2 Months with Torn Triceps
Teemu Selanne (WPG) Out 1-2 Months with a Fractured Hand


Player of the Month Honours
Wayne Gretzky (LA) - 65 GP 43 Goals 55 Assists 98 Points (1st in Points, 2nd in Goals, 5th in Assists)
Ron Hextall (PHI) - 42 GP 21-14-6 Record .900 SV% 2.96 GAA 2 Shutouts


Milestones
February 3rd - Joe Mullen 1000 Games in Boston 6-4 Win against Buffalo (39 years Old)
February 7th - Guy Carbonneau 1000 Games in Dallas 3-1 Win against Montreal (35 years Old)
February 15th - Steve Yzerman 500 Goals in Detroit 5-0 Win against Washington (30 years Old)
February 24th - Mark Messier 500 Goals in Rangers 4-1 Win against Florida (1 Goal, 1 Assist) (35 years Old)
February 25th - Chris Chelios 500 Assists in Chicago 5-2 Win against Philadelphia (2 Assists) (34 years Old)

Trades

Winnipeg Jets Acquire:
Manny Fernandez G, 21


Dallas Stars Acquire:
Darryl Shannon D, 27

Analysis
The Dallas Stars (32-25-1) look to add some depth before they enter the playoffs as they trade Manny Fernandez to the Winnipeg Jets (20-32-3) for Darryl Shannon. The Jets are duking it out with the Sharks for the last place in the league so they ship off solid defenseman Shannon and add young 21 year old Fernandez who has played 4 games for the Stars this year. It's a trade that works for both teams and makes sense based off where each team is in the standings.

March Schedule
March 2nd - @ Los Angeles Kings
March 9th - vs Ottawa Senators
March 11th - vs Dallas Stars
March 13th - @ New Jersey Devils
March 16th - vs New York Rangers
March 18th - vs Buffalo Sabres
March 20th - vs Hartford Whalers
March 22nd - @ Buffalo Sabres
March 23rd - vs Edmonton Oilers
March 25th - vs New York Islanders
March 27th - vs Washington Capitals
March 28th - @ Boston Bruins
March 30th - @ Ottawa Senators

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

What kind of moves could the Canadiens make before the Trade Deadline

Zach Martineau
March 10th, 1996
The NHL Trade Deadline is just over a week away and with the Canadiens sitting with a 34-23-8 record and 2nd in the Northeast division, there's a good chance a trade or two is made before Playoffs. While they have had a good season this year it's still evident the Habs aren't quite on the same level of the Devils, Avs and Red Wings of the league. Let's see what they need and what assets they have for trading.

Needs
1 or 2 Bottom 6 Defensive Forward's
2nd Pairing Defensively inclined Defenseman
Depth Forward in case of Injuries
Depth Defenseman in case of Injuries

Assets
Patrice Brisebois D
Darcy Tucker C
Benoit Brunet LW
Draft Picks

Based off these let's see what kind of players available fit those requirements and what it would take to acquire them.

Bob Corkum

Team - Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Age - 28
Position - C
Nationality - USA
Stats - 57 GP 5 G 19 A 24 PTS 64 PIM 0 +/-
Rough Trade Package - Brunet, Jim Campbell, 1998 4th Round Pick
What He Brings to Montreal
Corkum has been one of the better defensive players for the past three years in Anaheim and would likely slide into either the 3rd or 4th line center spot. He's not going to give u offense like he did two years ago with 51 points but he doesn't have too. He'll give u reliable defense which is what the Habs want to add in their bottom six

Ed Olczyk

Team - Winnipeg Jets
Age - 29
Position - C
Nationality - USA
Stats - 61 GP 11 G 18 A 29 PTS 43 PIM -18 +/-
Rough Trade Package - Brunet, Valeri Bure, 1996 5th Round Pick
What He Brings to Montreal
Don't let the -18 fool you because Olczyk plays for the worst team in the league in Winnipeg. He's not as good defensively as a guy like Corkum but is still alright and will give more offense which could be good for a guy like Neely on that third line. He could bring a two-way game that would be really beneficial come playoffs

Kevin Miller

Team - San Jose Sharks
Age - 30
Position - C/RW
Nationality - USA
Stats - 55 GP 11 G 19 A 30 PTS 55 PIM 7 +/-
Rough Trade Package - Brunet, Craig Conroy, 1996 5th Round Pick
What He Brings to Montreal
While he will take more to acquire, Miller is a mix of both Corkum and Olczyk in that will give you good offense (30 points this season) and great defense. He's got the second best +/- on the Sharks who have only won 18 games all season. He would be a great addition to the third line and would be the best forward addition that makes sense and is on the market.

Teppo Numminen

Team - Winnipeg Jets
Age - 27
Position - D
Nationality - Finland
Stats - 61 GP 10 G 21 A 31 PTS 42 PIM -6 +/-
Rough Trade Package - Brisbois, Brunet, Craig Conroy, 1996 1st Round Pick
What He Brings to Montreal
It's unlikely and would cost the Canadiens a steep price but getting Teppo Numminen would give them one of the better two-way defenseman in the NHL. The 27 year old is not going to leave Winnipeg unless theirs's really good value going the other way which the Habs might have the assets for. He'd become the team's best defenseman and play big minutes right away.

Richard Matvichuk

Team - Dallas Stars
Age - 23
Position - D
Nationality - Canada
Stats - 56 GP 2 G 17 A 19 PTS 30 PIM 2 +/-
Rough Trade Package - Craig Rivet, Craig Conroy, 1996 5th Round Pick
What He Brings to Montreal
While it's unclear how likely the Stars would be to trade the 23 year old defenseman it's definitely not impossible. The D-man is becoming a great two-way defenseman who will always be reliable on the defensive end. The Stars are in a dogfight for a playoff spot in the West so they could be asking for another solid defenseman in return.

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Some big moves were made by the Canadiens on Deadline Day

Zach Martineau
March 21st, 1996
The NHL Trade Deadline has ended and teams can no longer make any trades until the offseason. Here's a recap of everything that went down and some analysis for the major trades

Major Trades

New Jersey Devils Acquire
Adam Oates C, 33
1996 2nd Round Draft Pick

Devils Analysis
The Devils really go all in to try and become the next repeat champion since the Penguins in '91 and '92. The add Adam Oates to a already loaded roster and it's hard to argue he isn't a good addition. He's one of the best passers in the game and is still a point a game player (68 points in 63 games) at the age of 33. Oates will become the Devils new #1 center and get to work with John MacLean who has 34 goals this season which leads the team. It adds a big offensive player to a team that is one of the best defensively. Losing Patrik Elias will sting down the road but when you have a championship calibre team you have to go for the Cup every chance you can get.


Boston Bruins Acquire
Patrik Elias LW, 19
1996 4th Round Draft Pick

Bruins Analysis
Boston is currently 4th in the Northeast divison and still had a chance of making the playoffs, but it would have probably resulted in a first round exit. Instead GM Harry Sinden decided to gain assets for veteran Oates. They got what looks like a future 1st line playmaker in Patrik Elias which will be huge for them when he reaches his potential. However this does leave their star defenseman Ray Bourque on an island in Boston. He's still one of the best in the NHL but has no other star players to work with. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the five time Norris winner.


Montreal Canadiens Acquire
Craig Janney C, 28
Kevin Miller C/RW, 30
Igor Larionov C/RW, 35

Canadiens Analysis
The Canadiens make a huge splash as they get three different forwards, the biggest being Craig Janney who has 65 points this season with the Capitals. It's an interesting trade in that we'll have to see what kind of line combinations Coach/GM Martin decide to go with now that they have a big three down the middle of Turgeon, Koivu and now Janney. Also added was Kevin Miller who is a competent defensive center who could find himself on the wing with Montreal's depth down the middle. Larionov could see some minutes in a limited offensive role and could rekindle some chemistry with former teammate Sergei Makarov. It will be fun to see what the Canadiens do with these additions


San Jose Sharks Acquire
Darcy Tucker F, 20
Benoit Brunet LW, 27
Craig Conroy C, 24
1997 3rd Round Draft Pick

Sharks Analysis
The Sharks move on from their first line center in Craig Janney who's contract expires after this season and made it clear he would not be returning to San Jose. They also move Miller and Larionov who they had been trying to do for the past few weeks. In return they get some young players in Darcy Tucker and Craig Conroy who could become some key players for them in the future. They also get basically a younger version of Miller in Brunet. The 27 year old has 16 goals this season in a very limited role on the Habs so it remains to be seen what he could do with more minutes in San Jose.


Washington Capitals Acquire
Derek King LW, 29

Capitals Analysis
Very questionable trade by the Capitals as they acquire career long Islander Derek King who will replace Juneau as the first line left winger. It's not that King is a bad player but they give up the 17th pick from the 1995 Draft in Jason Allison. Yes the Capitals are currently in a playoff spot but the likelihood that they even make it past round one is low. They now lose a potential 1st line center in exchange for a 29 year old left wing that will help their team in the now but is that really what they want? Not a fan of this trade by General Manager David Poile


New York Islanders Acquire
Jason Allison C, 20
Martin Gendron RW, 22

Islanders Analysis
The Islanders are one spot ahead of the Capitals in the Atlantic Divison and in the Eastern Conference. They realized that the potential of getting a guy like Jason Allison was greater then trying (and likely failing) to win a round of playoff hockey. While it was probably hard to see a guy like Derek King leave the team it was the right decision. Allison is looking like a future second or even first line center so in the long run the Islanders take the W in this transaction.

Other Trades

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire
Dan McGillis D, 23


Detroit Red Wings Acquire
Pat Elynuik RW, 28
Allan Egeland C, 23


Buffalo Sabres Acquire
Greg Gilbert RW, 34


St. Louis Blues Acquire
Brent Hughes LW, 29


Montreal Canadiens Acquire
Bob Corkum C, 31
Bobby Dallas D, 28


Anaheim Mighty Ducks Acquire
Craig Rivet D, 21
Sebastien Bordeleau C, 21


Buffalo Sabres Acquire
Mark Tinordi D, 29


Washington Capitals Acquire
Charlie Huddy D, 36

[JurassicPuck]

MONTREAL GAZETTE

The following is a Season Review of the 1995-96 NHL Season

Zach Martineau
April 15th 1996
The 1996 NHL Season has come to an end and it's time to go ever everything from Standings and Stats to Award Nominees and everything else.

NHL Standings
Atlantic Division


New York Rangers
Team MVP - Mark Messier 36 GP 17 G 36 A 53 PTS
Most Surprising - Luc Robitaille 82 GP 61 G 69 A 130 PTS
Most Disappointing - Adam Graves 71 GP 18 G 29 A 47 PTS
Season Recap
After a disappointing season and second round exit following their Cup win, the Rangers are locked and loaded to win their second Stanley Cup win in three years. They had big additions this offseason with Robitaille, Ferraro, Larouche and Samuelsson and all of them have had great seasons this year. The biggest obviously is Luc Robitaille who was two goals shy of his goals record as he scored 61 and a total of 130 points, which is a career high. Nobody could have seen such a season coming but he just seemed to click with Verbeek who tied his career high of 89 points. Ray Ferraro was centering Luc and Pat and he was key to keeping that line going in the absence of Messier when he missed three months with an injury. Larouche became a steal for the Rags as in just his second season he had 52 points after scoring 15 in 18 games last year with the Sens. With Messier back and the original Rangers like Leetch, Kovalev and Richter all killing it, the Rangers have a good chance of winning it all come Playoffs

New Jersey Devils
Team MVP - Scott Niedermayer 76 GP 10 G 51 A 61 PTS
Most Surprising - Scott Niedermayer 76 GP 10 G 51 A 61 PTS
Most Disappointing - Martin Brodeur 65 GP 31-23-10 W-L-T Record 2.56 GAA .906 SV% 5 SHO
Season Recap
The defending Stanley Cup Champions have a decent season with 39 wins and finish 4th in the Conference. It's not the best season the team could have had and the reason being is Martin Brodeur didn't have the greatest regular season with only a .906 SV%. It shouldn't be the biggest worry considering he had a worse SV% last season before he had a .927 in the playoffs. They added Oates at the deadline and he's had 13 points in 12 games on the first line so this team has the skill to repeat.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Team MVP - Brian Bradley 79 GP 33 G 63 A 96 PTS
Most Surprising - Brian Bellows 82 GP 35 G 42 A 77 PTS
Most Disappointing - Rob Zamuner 78 GP 9 G 18 A 27 PTS
Season Recap
The Lightning qualify for the playoffs after finishing 4th last in the NHL last season. The big reason for the turnaround? The duo of Brian Bradley and Brian Bellows. The Double B's both had huge seasons and carried this team to the playoffs. Captain Bradley breaks his previous career high of 86 points with 96 and has the Flames, Canucks and Leafs shaking their heads because they let this guy slip away. Meanwhile 31 year old Bellows bounces back big time after only scoring 16 points in 41 games with the Canadiens last season. GM Phil Esposito has too be happy with the big improvement over last season and only time will tell if they can make any noise come Playoffs.

New York Islanders
Team MVP - Zigmund Palffy 80 GP 35 G 54 A 89 PTS
Most Surprising - Mathieu Schneider 70 GP 25 G 49 A 74 PTS
Most Disappointing - Wendel Clark 75 GP 16 G 29 A 45 PTS
Season Recap
The New York Islanders are another team that have a big turnaround as they go from the second worst team last year to 6th in the Eastern Conference this year. The big reason for the Islanders rise in the standings is due to the emergence of Palffy, Schneider, Bertuzzi and addition of 20 year old Jason Allison. The Islanders are looking like a future contender and have a good mix of vets and young guys already. Captain Wendel Clark and Assistant Kirk Muller lead this young team into the playoffs with the ability to upset a good team. Watch for this team down the road to become a real contender if they add a few more pieces.

Philadelphia Flyers
Team MVP - John LeClair 74 GP 34 G 48 A 82 PTS
Most Surprising - Shjon Podein 57 GP 14 G 17 A 31 PTS
Most Disappointing - Eric Lindros 64 GP 22 G 41 A 63 PTS
Season Recap
The most disappointing team of the season was the Philadelphia Flyers who squeak into the playoffs as a 7th seed after finishing 5th in the entire NHL last season. The biggest letdown was reigning Hart Trophy winner Eric Lindros, who has still yet to play more then 65 games in a season, finishing with only 63 points. He had more points in only 46 games last season then he did this year in 64. Injury problems are a serious issue for the former 1st overall pick and will likely be a problem for the rest of his career. The Legion of Doom when Lindros was out wasn't as dominant as last season but still good enough to get this team to the playoffs. The Flyers will be heading into the Playoffs with a full roster so if they can rewind back to last season they could be one of the most dangerous low seeds a team could face

Washington Capitals
Team MVP - Peter Bondra 77 GP 38 G 39 A 77 PTS
Most Surprising - Richard Zemlicka 67 GP 13 G 22 A 35 PTS
Most Disappointing - Calle Johansson 82 GP 7 G 31 A 38 PTS
Season Recap
A team that seems to be in flux on what type of team they want to be, the Washington Capitals miss the playoffs by 1 point. This team has a lot of problems they will have to answer come the offseason where General Manager David Poile will be under the magnifying glass to make the right moves. They have the players to work with but not a plan on what they want to do. An example being trading Jason Allison for 580 game veteran Derek King. Allison had 41 points in 68 games and is 9 years younger then King. The goalie situation will also need to be solved as they have two top-end goalies in Jim Carey and Olaf Kolzig. "Olie the Goalie" got the majority of starts but both played well and Carey is 5 years his senior. Too many questions for this team to have success right now

Florida Panthers
Team MVP - Rob Niedermayer 82 GP 25 G 21 A 46 PTS
Most Surprising - Scott Mellanby 49 GP 20 G 25 A 45 PTS
Most Disappointing - John Vanbiesbrouck 28 GP 6-14-2 W-L-T Record 3.69 GAA .895 SV% 0 SHO
Season Recap
A very tough 3rd season for the Florida Panthers as they finish last in the Eastern Conference with only 29 wins. They don't have a lot of great players but their best Vanbiesbrouck had a career worst season and had his starting role stolen by Mark Fitzpatrick who did a whole lot better. On the bright side your not expected to be contending this early in a franchise's history and the Panthers will be able to have a high pick in the upcoming Draft. Scott Mellanby only played 49 games before fracturing his Tibia but in that span he had 45 points which is very impressive considering the linemates he has to work with. 21 year old Rob Niedermayer finished with 46 points which is a big upgrade he had from the 10 he had last year. The team is slowly stockpiling prospects and getting better and that's all you can ask for in Florida right now.

Northeast


Pittsburgh Penguins
Team MVP - Jaromir Jagr 82 GP 60 G 71 A 131 PTS
Most Surprising - Markus Naslund 70 GP 28 G 42 A 70 PTS
Most Disappointing - Bryan Smolinski 77 GP 9 G 11 A 20 PTS
Season Recap
Talk about entering the playoffs on absolute fire. This years rendition of the Penguins broke the NHL record 17 game win streak held by the 1993 Penguins with their own 20 game win streak. The streak came to an end in the last game of the season but they're still 20-1 in their last 21 games. This team is the best offensive team in the NHL and the firepower they posses is mind-boggling. Leading the way is Jaromir Jagr who was again nominated for the Hart Trophy after coming in 2nd to Lindros last season. Mario Lemieux only played 60 games this season and amazingly still had 105 points. Ron Francis had 89 points centering the second line. 1st year Penguin Sergei Zubov had 69 assists and 84 points, finishing 2nd for D-Men scoring league-wide. Markus Naslund exploded for 70 points in 70 games and is another offensive weapon for the Penguins and he's only 22. Petr Nedved and Tomas Sandstrom both had 50 points and Sandstrom only played 65 games and still hit the mark. To add to that Tom Barrassso had a career best year and is a nominee for the Vezina Trophy. This team and Detroit are the heavy Cup favorites entering the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens
Team MVP - Pierre Turgeon 82 GP 41 G 48 A 89 PTS
Most Surprising - Sergei Makarov 82 GP 16 G 36 A 52 PTS
Most Disappointing - Patrick Roy 65 GP 31-23-10 W-L-T Record 2.56 GAA .906 SV% 5 SHO
Season Recap
Your Montreal Canadiens finished 2nd in the Northeast division behind only the powerhouse Penguins. It looked shaky after the trade deadline but the team has pulled it together at the end with a four game win streak to cap off the season. They made a lot of moves this season but I think it's safe to say they are a better team then when they started. Captain Pierre Turgeon led the Habs in scoring with 89 points of which 41 were goals. After that the scoring was spread out among the team with 7 players above 50 points (Turgeon, Janney, Recchi, Juneau, Damphousse, Malakhov, Makarov). The only other teams to have 7 50+ point scorers were the Penguins and Rangers. Patrick Roy didn't have the best season after all the drama he stirred with former coach Jacques Demers. He's known as one of the greatest when the going get's tough so let's hope he gets some of that playoff magic this year. The Habs aren't one of the big contenders for the Cup but they definitely are in that second tier of contenders

Boston Bruins
Team MVP - Ray Bourque 78 GP 18 G 58 A 76 PTS
Most Surprising - Jozef Stumpel 80 GP 21 G 38 A 59 PTS
Most Disappointing - Todd Elik 81 GP 9 G 10 A 19 PTS -32 +/-
Season Recap
Even after trading Adam Oates the Boston Bruins made the playoffs as the 8th seed, 1 point ahead of the Capitals. Make no mistake though this is not a good hockey team. They lost 10 more games then they won and have one star player in Ray Bourque who is on an island in Boston right now. Jozef Stumpel is likely their best forward after scoring 59 points this season but besides that this team is weak. The goaltending is bad with no real starter, no other above average defenseman besides Bourque and a forward core that lacks depth. They're gonna play the Penguins in round 1 and unless a miracle happens they will be hitting the links after 4 games.

Hartford Whalers
Team MVP - Andrew Cassels 78 GP 12 G 72 A 84 PTS
Most Surprising - Andrew Cassels 78 GP 12 G 72 A 84 PTS
Most Disappointing - Brendan Shanahan 79 GP 19 G 32 A 51 PTS
Season Recap
For the 4th straight season the Hartford Whalers will not be playing playoff hockey. They just didn't have the offensive depth to qualify for a playoff spot but were a formidable hockey club this season. Andrew Cassels had a big season for the Whalers, leading the team in points with 84 while being one of the best passers in hockey with 72 assists. The guy he fed the most was Nelson Emerson who hit the 30 goal mark for the 2nd time in his career. However after that the drop off is big with Brendan Shanahan had a poor season scoring only 19 goals and 51 points and Geoff Sanderson only had 49 points after 32 in the lockout shortened season last year. They got the guys to compete in the East but just need to add a few more assets to get to that point.

Buffalo Sabres
Team MVP - Dominik Hasek 65 GP 31-23-10 W-L-T Record 2.56 GAA .906 SV% 5 SHO
Most Surprising - Brad May 75 GP 22 G 30 A 52 PTS
Most Disappointing - Doug Bodger 73 GP 3 G 19 A 84 PTS
Season Recap
Besides the Dominator the Buffalo Sabres are a bad hockey team. Their leading scorer only had 57 points all season which won't cut it if your trying to compete. It doesn't help that star player Pat LaFontaine missed 3 quarters of the year, playing only 28 games (6 more then last season) but even with LaFontaine it's hard to see this team cracking the 8th seed. This team has major problems and might only have few more years of prime Hasek before he starts to decline. Not only are they not scoring goals but the defense is horrible as well. They allowed the second most shots per game with a 37.2 average. This ended the Sabres streak of eight straight playoff appearances and it looks like the team will have to make some changes to get back to that type of success.

Ottawa Senators
Team MVP - Pavol Demitra 74 GP 33 G 39 A 72 PTS
Most Surprising - Pavol Demitra 74 GP 33 G 39 A 72 PTS
Most Disappointing - Alexandre Daigle 70 GP 13 G 16 A 29 PTS
Season Recap
The Senators had a decent season for a team not expected to do much of anything and had some big seasons from some of their exciting young players. Example A being Pavol Demitra in just his first full season, leading the team in goals, assists and points with 33-39-72. Rookie Daniel Alfredsson who has already been given the "A", had 31 goals and 65 points while being nominated for the Calder trophy as best rookie. The 1995 Draft's first overall pick Bryan Berard had a good 1st season with 28 points in 56 games as a 19 year old. However other former 1st overall pick Daigle has been one of the biggest draft disappointments in recent memory. After being hyped as the "Next Gretzky" he has been anything but with his point totals declining every season he's played. The Sens will continue to add youth this offseason as they will receive a high pick in the upcoming draft

Central Division


Detroit Red Wings
Team MVP - Nicklas Lidstrom 81 GP 16 G 61 A 77 PTS
Most Surprising - Ray Sheppard 79 GP 55 G 45 A 100 PTS
Most Disappointing - Dino Ciccarelli 82 GP 28 G 21 A 49 PTS
Season Recap
Heading into the Playoffs the Cup Favourites are clearly Pittsburgh and the Detroit Red Wings. They had finished with 124 points, 58 wins and had four players named as nominees for awards (Lidstrom, Konstantinov for Norris, Vernon for Vezina and Yzerman for Leadership). They're such a deep team with depth at every position. They can beat you in so many ways and have a coach in Scotty Bowman (Nominated for Jack Adams Award) that knows how to utilize their advantages. They had big seasons from Sheppard (Career highs in Goals and Points), 23 year old Kozlov and Swede Lidstrom. However a guy like Fedorov who has previously been their best player had a rather weak season with only 75 points in 76 games. Ciccarelli also had a year where you could see an obvious decline from the previous as he only had 49 points. Either way, this team is still the best bet to win their first Stanley Cup since 1955, 41 years ago

Toronto Maple Leafs
Team MVP - Damian Rhodes 49 GP 30-10-6 W-L-T Record 1.97 GAA .934 SV% 7 SHO
Most Surprising - Mike Gartner 78 GP 42 G 49 A 91 PTS
Most Disappointing - Todd Gill 82 GP 5 G 23 A 28 PTS
Season Recap
The Leafs cap off a historic season for them as they win 49 games, the most the team has ever won during the regular season. The biggest story is Damian Rhodes who took ever as the starting goalie and is the favourite to win the Vezina trophy as best goalie. He stood on his head this season and led the league in SV% with an insane .934%. Another player who had a surprise season was 36 year old Mike Gartner who led the team in Goals and Assists with 42 and 91, respectively. It's his most points in a season since 1985, 11 years ago where he had 102 points with the Washington Capitals. With a full roster this team could be grouped in with Detroit and PIT but they will be without Captain Doug Gilmour for the entire playoffs with a Torn Acetabular Labrum which happened back in late February. "Killer" had 82 points in 62 games and would have had 108 points if he played 82 games. Out Indefinitely is Left Winger Bill Berg who had 33 points in 66 games before he ruptured a disc in his back, and Russian Dmitry Yshkevich who has only been able to play 16 games due to multiple injuries. Even without these guys the Leafs still have a good chance of making it to the Conference Finals, although their chances of winning that seem slim.

Chicago Blackhawks
Team MVP - Jeremy Roenick 82 GP 40 G 66 A 106 PTS
Most Surprising - Eric Daze 76 GP 46 G 37 A 83 PTS
Most Disappointing - Joe Murphy 71 GP 23 G 24 A 47 PTS
Season Recap
For the 26th Straight Season, the Chicago Blackhawks will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Led by the duo of Jeremy Roenick and slam-dunk rookie of the year winner Eric Daze the Hawks were one of the most explosive teams on offense this season. Daze in just his first season is already one of the best scorers in the NHL finishing 6th in Goals, ahead of guys like Lemieux, Kariya, Kozlov and more. It's scary that this guy can still get better. Roenick is a big part of Daze's success as he finished with 106 points on the season with 66 assists. Other than those two the Blackhawks had weak seasons from Bernie Nicholls (40 points, had 51 in 48 games last season) and Joe Murphy (Only 6 more points then last season in 31 more games) who were 1st and 2nd in team scoring last year. That's a big reason why they acquired a guy like Courtnall mid-season and he's been a big help after a rough start to the season in Vancouver. The 31 year old speedster had 21 points in 28 games while wearing the Blackhawks jersey. They'll have a tough road if they want to win the Stanley Cup bit with their duo and Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour in net it is very much a possibility.

Dallas Stars
Team MVP - Andy Moog 65 GP 31-23-10 W-L-T Record 2.56 GAA .906 SV% 5 SHO
Most Surprising - Jamie Langenbrunner 75 GP 14 G 17A 31 PTS
Most Disappointing - Mike Modano 80 GP 12 G 49 A 61 PTS
Season Recap
They won't score many goals but neither will the team they're playing, the Dallas Stars win 41 games and qualify as the 6th seed in the Western Conference. This was a team effort all season with no star or standout player. Mike Modano who is supposed to be one of the best offensive players in the league had just 61 points but greatly improved his defense as a whole. That's what a coach like Bob Gainey will do to your team. He'll make sure every player is defensively responsible and it showed this season. Andy Moog was one of the better goalies in the league this season at the ripe age of 36 and was a big part of the Stars making the playoffs this year. Dave Gagner led the team in scoring by a wide margin with 83 points in 77 games. It's a career high for the 31 year old in his 12th season in the NHL. Teams will find it difficult if they find the Stars as they're first round opponent and would be a good bet for a first round upset.

St. Louis Blues
Team MVP - Al MacInnis 82 GP 27 G 68 A 95 PTS
Most Surprising - Dale Hawerchuk 81 GP 29 G 65 A 94 PTS
Most Disappointing - Grant Fuhr 54 GP 25-24-2 W-L-T Record 3.30 GAA .903 SV% 3 SHO
Season Recap
A team that was failed by their goaltending this season the St. Louis Blues finish as the 7th seed with a .500 record. Grant Fuhr was not the answer for the Blues this season and with a team with this much star-power they should be a higher seed in the West. It was a coin flip for the Team MVP between Hull and MacInnis but Al was nominated for the Norris so it gave him the edge over the right winger. Both were key players this season with MacInnis two goals away from breaking his career high and adding 95 points in 82 games. Meanwhile Hull was again one of the best snipers in the game with 56 goals, good enough for 4th in the NHL. The other big contributor was 33 year old Dale Hawerchuk who bounced back after a injury riddled season last year. Ducky had 94 points in just his first season in a Blues uniform. If this team can get some good goaltending once Playoffs hit, and Fuhr is known for being good come Playoff time, then the Blues will have a good chance of upsetting their round 1 opponent.

Winnipeg Jets
Team MVP - Teppo Numminen 82 GP 11 G 30 A 41 PTS
Most Surprising - Shane Doan 81 GP 9 G 18 A 27 PTS
Most Disappointing - Keith Tkachuk 73 GP 17 G 44 A 61 PTS
Season Recap -
The Winnipeg Jets will finish last in the Central Division for the 3rd straight season after another losing season. The Jets missed some of their best players to injuries this season which hurt their chances at being a competitive team. The defensive side of the game for Winnipeg wasn't pretty and left Nikolai Khabibulin out to dry in a lot of games. Keith Tkachuk led the team in scoring with just 61 points. It was obvious he missed linemate Teemu Selanne who played just 47 games this season after mutiple injuries during the year. Alexei Zhamnov could not replicate the per game stats he had last season (65 points in 48 games) with just 52 points in 67 games. Rookie Shane Doan had a decent season with 9 goals 18 assists and 27 points while being one of the better defensive players with a -9. They'll have a good opportunity at selecting a top prospect at the draft this summer.

Pacific


Colorado Avalanche
Team MVP - Joe Sakic 76 GP 37 G 83 A 120 PTS
Most Surprising - Claude Lemieux 81 GP 27 G 18 A 45 PTS
Most Disappointing - Mike Ricci 74 GP 16 G 26 A 42 PTS
Season Recap
Finishing with 96 Points the Colorado Avalanche finish the season as one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Burnaby Joe led the team with 83 assists and 120 points, both career highs. The Avs are stocked with offensive weapons as Sakic is flanked by forwards such as Owen Nolan (42 Goals, 47 Assists, 89 Points), Kamensky (73 Points), Forsberg (71 points in 68 Games), Rucinsky (48 points) and Claude Lemieux (27 Goals). The defenseman are all defensive minded players who make it hard on opposing players to create scoring opportunites. The one big weakness this team has is goaltending with Fiset and Thibault sharing the crease. Both have been subpar this season with Fiset at a .901SV% and Thibault below .900 with a .897%. With such shaky goaltending it's hard to see the Avs being able to win a cup this season but if one of the netminders hit's a hot streak it could definitely happen with such a good roster

Edmonton Oilers
Team MVP - Bill Ranford 65 GP 31-23-10 W-L-T Record 2.56 GAA .906 SV% 5 SHO
Most Surprising - Peter White 71 GP 23 G 24 A 47 PTS
Most Disappointing - Doug Weight 71 GP 23 G 24 A 47 PTS
Season Recap
Expected to be in the basement of the Pacific Divison this season, the Edmonton Oilers finish second behind only the Avalanche with 92 points. They finished last season with just 17 wins in the 48 game season and wasn't expected to be anywhere near a playoff spot this season. The big reason for the unexpected success is because of the stingy defense shown by the team this season. The Oilers allowed just 2.61 goals against per game which was 4th best in the NHL. A lot of that is attributed to Bill Ranford who stood on his head this season. Props also have to be given to the defense who were a big reason for allowing such a low amount of goals. What is an area of concern for this team is the offensive potential they have up front. Zdeno Ciger was the leading scorer for the team with just 60 points (although in 69 games). That was the least amount of points for a team leader in the NHL. The team has no real offensive weapon which will not bode well for them come Playoffs. Doug Weight had a horrible season with just 27 points in 57 games and can not be relied on for offense. With such weak scoring ability it's hard to see this team making it past round two or even past round 1, depending on the opponent.

Calgary Flames
Team MVP - Joe Nieuwendyk 75 GP 40 G 58 A 98 PTS
Most Surprising - Gary Roberts 75 GP 26 G 46 A 72 PTS
Most Disappointing - Goaltending
Season Recap
The Flames secure the 8th and final seed in the Western Conference and finish with just 1 point more then the Canucks who will miss the Playoffs. The Flames have a good roster that would be higher in the standings if not for the incompetent management team. Last season Trevor Kidd won 22 games and had a .909 SV%, resulting in a 1st place finish in the Pacific Divison. In a mind-boggling move at the beginning of the season the Flames left him unprotected in the waiver draft where the rival Oilers scooped him up. Of course the biggest problem this season for Calgary was goaltending. Rick Tabaracci and Dwayne Roloson shared the crease and both showed they aren't ready to be starters in the NHL. That was the team's downfall this season and will likely be bounced in round 1

Vancouver Canucks
Team MVP - Cliff Ronning 78 GP 18 G 60 A 78 PTS
Most Surprising - Cliff Ronning 78 GP 18 G 60 A 78 PTS
Most Disappointing - Alexander Mogilny 73 GP 35 G 24 A 59 PTS
Season Recap
In gut-wrenching fashion the Vancouver Canucks miss the playoffs by 1 point. The Canucks played a run and gun style this season and unfortunately it just didn't quite work out. They needed some better goaltending and defensive help if they wanted to play that type of style and they didn't get that this season. There are some upsides to the season however. Cliff Ronning had a bounce back season after just 25 points in 41 games last season. Jeff Brown was one of the best producing defenseman in the NHL this season with 77 points. Martin Gelinas had his best offensive season with 59 points. The Canucks will just need to make some tweaks and then they should be back in the playoff picture quickly

Los Angeles Kings
Team MVP - Wayne Gretzky 82 GP 51 G 73 A 124 PTS
Most Surprising - Yanic Perreault 82 GP 15 G 32 A 47 PTS
Most Disappointing - Rick Tocchet 62 GP 5 G 6 A 11 PTS
Season Recap
For a third straight season the LA Kings fail to get a team with Wayne Gretzky to the Playoffs. This will almost certainly mean the end of the Gretzky era in Los Angeles with #99's contract expiring after this season. The Kings were the worst defensive team in the NHL and allowed 298 goals against this season. The team just doesn't have the pieces to make it a playoff team with a drop off after Gretzky and even bigger drop off after guys like Khristich, Blake and Kurri. They even had a decent goaltender with Byron Dafoe putting up a .914 SV% but it just wasn't enough with such lack of depth at the forward and defense spots. With the Great One a free agent it will be a frenzy to see who will be able to sign the 35 year old superstar.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Team MVP - Paul Kariya 77 GP 43 G 42 A 85 PTS
Most Surprising - Dwayne Norris 75 GP 12 G 26 A 38 PTS
Most Disappointing - Shaun Van Allen 69 GP 7 G 10 A 17 PTS
Season Recap
The Paul Kariya's, also known as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks were again a bad team and miss the playoffs with a measly 57 points. Paul Kariya again leads a team full of nothing with 85 points. The next highest scorer? Joe Sacco with just 44 points. This team will again have a high draft pick which is what it needs as it tries to find help for Kariya. Guy Hebert at least had another good season with a .910 SV% which is a good sign. The Mighty Ducks will have options at the draft this summer that would be a good offensive option next to a guy like Kariya.

San Jose Sharks
Team MVP - Ray Whitney 65 GP 11 G 38 A 49 PTS
Most Surprising - Marcus Ragnarsson 71 GP 4 G 16 A 20 PTS
Most Disappointing - Sandis Ozolinsh 70 GP 5 G 20 A 25 PTS
Season Recap
The Sharks take a step back after two straight playoff appearances but it's probably for the better with the team they have. The Sharks are the youngest team in the NHL with just one player over the age of 31 and their best players are still young. They don't have the assets to compete right now so why not keep building through the draft. They acquired a future star in Petr Sykora this season who's still just 19 years old. Other 19 year old Jeff Frieson was fourth on the team in scoring with 34 points so this team's core is as young as it gets. Add in other core players Whitney, Falloon and Ozolinsh who are all 23 years old and this team could be on the cusp of something great after they grow their guys and add a few more prospects. The future is looking bright in San Jose

League Leaders

Skaters


Goalies


Award Nominees

Hart Trophy Nominees
Jaromir Jagr PIT
Jeremy Roenick CHI
Joe Sakic COL

Winner Prediction - Joe Sakic COL
It's a controversial pick with Sakic over Jagr but I believe that Burnaby Joe was more valuable to the Avs then Jagr to the Penguins. The Pens had multiple offensive guys and Barrasso was also nominated for an award. Sakic was more valuable so therefore should win this award.

Ted Lindsay Award Nominees
Jaromir Jagr PIT
Joe Sakic COL
Nicklas Lidstrom DET

Winner Prediction - Jaromir Jagr PIT
This is the award that Jagr should win. The Czech native was the best player in the NHL this season and should be recognized as such. It is a player voted award so it could be any one of the nominees because they're all among the best in the league.

Vezina Trophy Nominees
Damian Rhodes TOR
Mike Vernon DET
Tom Barrasso PIT

Winner Prediction - Damian Rhodes TOR
It's a two horse race between Rhodes and Barrasso but I'll give the edge to the man in Toronto. They weren't expected to do as well as they did and were without Doug Gilmour for a good chunk of the season. He came out of nowhere and took over the starting role from Potvin and had the more impressive season

Norris Trophy Nominees
Al MacInnis STL
Nicklas Lidstrom DET
Vladimir Konstantinov DET

Winner Prediction - Nicklas Lidstrom DET
A close call but ultimately I went with Lidstrom. He didn't have quite the offensive exploits of MacInnis but was lockdown defensively while adding 77 points. How impressive is it that the Red Wings have two nominees, and they play on the same pairing!

Calder Trophy Nominees
Daniel Alfredsson OTT
Eric Daze CHI
Petr Sykora SJS

Winner Prediction - Eric Daze CHI
This one needs no discussion. Alfredsson and Sykora both had great rookie seasons but they don't compare to the offensive output Daze had this year. Easy winner

Frank J. Selke Trophy Nominees
Kelly Buchberger EDM
Mike Hudson TOR
Ron Francis PIT

Winner Prediction - Kelly Buchberger EDM
Could go to any three of them but we chose Buchberger because of how the Oilers completely changed their game and were able to make the playoffs pretty handedly. He was a big reason for them being one of the best defensively

Lady Byng Trophy Nominees
Andrew Cassels HAR
Eric Daze CHI
Sergei Zubov PIT

Winner Prediction - Sergei Zubov PIT
Sergei Zubov had the least amount of PIM's out of all three as a defenseman. He had a big season in year 1 with the Penguins and it deserves to be recognized with the Lady Byng Trophy

Jean Beliveau Leadership Award Nominees
Chris Chelios CHI
Ron Francis PIT
Steve Yzerman DET

Winner Prediction - Steve Yzerman DET
Yzerman led the Red Wings to a 58 win season and the best team record wise in the NHL. He's the heart and soul of that team and proves it on a nightly basis.

Jack Adams Award Nominees
Ed Johnston PIT
Pat Burns TOR
Scotty Bowman TOR

Winner Prediction - Ed Johnston PIT
This team broke the record for wins in a row with 20 straight W's. Ed had this team rolling even without Lemieux for a good stretch. He seems like the best pick for the Jack Adams

GM of the Year Nominees
Cliff Fletcher TOR
Craig Patrick PIT
Jim Devellano DET

Winner Prediction - Jim Devellano DET
That team in Detroit is built differently. They have so many pieces and so many players that contribute and many are them are homegrown prospects or from smart trades. Devellano is my choice for this award

Montreal Canadiens Player Stats