CI_4-11 - Center Ice Hockey Magazine Philly

Vol. 15, No. 46
April 2011
GEARING
UP FOR A
CUP RUN
Flyers Playoff Preview
Phantoms Phocus
Eastern Conference
Playoff Preview
Trenton Devils Scene
Reading Royals Report
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FEATURES
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Flyers Playoff Preview
By Mike del Tufo
Volume 15, No. 46
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CENTER ICE HOCKEY
MAGAZINE
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor
Fran Rubert Jr.
By Russ Cohen
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Staff Writers
Mike del Tufo
Fran Rubert Jr.
Contributing Writers
Dave Sherman
Russ Cohen
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Mike del Tufo
Fran Rubert Jr.
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Versteeg and Boynton Bolster Flyers’ Line-Up
By Mike del Tufo
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Executive Editor
Mike del Tufo
Director of Marketing
Dave Rubert
Bobrovsky Has Played Well
Philadelphia Flyers April's of the Past
by David Sherman, "Scoreman"
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Spectrum Now Nothing But Rubble
8
Phantoms Phocus
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
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Luke Pither Phantoms Player Spotlight
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
GRASS ROOTS
11
Trenton Devils Scene
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
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Trenton Devils Spotlight: Matt Lombardi
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
13
Reading Royals Report
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
15
One on One with Reading Royals Andrew Sarauer
By Fran Rubert, Jr.
18-19
High School & College Standings
ICE TALK
20
Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
By Mike del Tufo
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editorial correspondence to
[email protected]
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The Chicago Blackhawks Honored at White House
By Mike del Tufo
26
Trivia - Win an autographed hockey stick!
• Front cover photo: Source: Joe del Tufo
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Flyers
R E P O R T
Philadelphia Flyers 2010-11 Playoff Preview
by Mike del Tufo
The Flyers are in much better shape this season
than last heading into the playoffs. In 2009-10, the
Flyers sputtered down the stretch going 2-7-2 in late
March and early April and almost missed the playoffs.
They had to win 3 of their last 4 just to slip in past the
New York Rangers. This season, they have been one
of the dominant teams in the Eastern Conference most
of the season and will easily make the post-season.
They are considered one of the top contenders to win
the Stanley Cup.
hinge on a single turnover or penalty. He is a strong
choice to lead this team through the ups and downs of
the playoffs.
Offense
The Flyers’ offense is formidable. The top line of
Briere-Leino-Hartnell is imposing with Briere headed
to possibly 35 goals and Hartnell to 25. Then they
have a line comprised of Jeff Carter, Giroux, and JVR
and a line with Mike Richards, Kris Versteeg, and a
winger. No other team in the NHL can match the level
of skill their top 3 lines have. The team looks like it
will have seven 20-goal scorers this season with two
reaching 30. That is unbelievable balance.
With that comes high expectations and a lot of
pressure, neither of which they faced last season. It is
a strong possibility they will go into the playoffs as the
#1 seed. That is something every team strives for but
its prestige means precious little if you go into a
playoff game expecting it to help you win. Last
season’s #1 seed in the Eastern Conference was the
Washington Capitals. They played seven 1st round
games and then went home. The Flyers will need to
work hard to avoid the same fate.
The Flyers have soared due to hard work and great
teamwork. That must continue for them to be
successful in the playoffs. They cannot take periods
off and have to play the entire 60 minutes to close out
a playoff game. They really struggled to keep their
focus in February and March as they were not really
playing for much. They gave up big leads and lost
games they should not have. That must be addressed
before the playoffs or their post-season run will be a
short one.
During last season’s playoffs, they were
particularly effective at this and advanced all the way
to the Stanley Cup Finals. It should certainly help
them now that they did this. They know what it takes.
This season, it should also be a positive that they did
not have to exert so much energy at the end of the
season just to make it to the post-season. It could be
a factor in getting those two wins to claim the Cup that
they could not get against the Chicago Blackhawks
last season.
Flyers’ recent history is not on their side. The last
3 Flyers teams (1984-85, 1986-87, and 1996-97) to go
to the Finals all hit the wall the following season
losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. Recent NHL
history is a little more favorable though. The
Pittsburgh Penguins lost in the 2008 Stanley Cup
Finals to the Detroit Red Wings in 6 games. The Pens,
however, came back and won the 2009 Stanley Cup
Finals over the Red Wings in 7 games.
The 2010-11 Philadelphia Flyers have a tremendous
amount of depth and talent. Flyers GM Paul
Holmgren deserves a lot of credit for this team he has
built. The team has a nice blend of youth and veteran
leadership playing together. Winger Claude Giroux
was a sensation in his 3rd season emerging as a star.
James van Riemsdyk made some strides as well in his
2nd season. At the other end is Chris Pronger who
has won a Stanley Cup and been to a total of three
Cup Finals and is still a dominating presence when on
The team has lost a number of quality forwards in
the last couple of years including Simon Gagne, Mike
Knuble, Jofferey Lupul, RJ Umberger, and Scottie
Upshall but do not seem to have missed a beat. It was
shrewd trade that brought Leino to the team last
season. His acquisition along with the resurgence of
Briere and Hartnell and the leap in development for
Peter Laviolette (Photo Joe del Tufo)
the ice. Sean O’Donnell is a grizzled veteran who has
won a Stanley Cup too. The Flyers have all of the
ingredients needed for success in the NHL. Can they
translate that into the franchise’s 1st Stanley Cup since
1975?
Coaching
Peter Laviolette has previously won the Stanley
Cup leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the title in
2006. He clearly has what it takes to get a team to the
pinnacle of the NHL. He did a phenomenal job last
season getting the Flyers to the playoffs and then all
the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. He has done a
fantastic job this season as well as the Flyers have
been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference all
season. He should be one of the finalists for the Jack
Adams Award as coach of the year.
Laviolette has put his stamp on this team as he has
mixed and matched the strengths of his players
making the team greater than the sum of its parts.
Before his arrival, both Daniel Briere and Scott
Hartnell were erratic players that were largely seen as
disappointments due to their large salaries. He placed
them on the same line as Ville Leino, a top playmaker
and passer. He was the perfect complement to two
players who were more adept at finishing. This trio
has been the team’s top line since the Stanley Cup
Finals.
A lot is expected from this team and no one will
bear the brunt of that more than Laviolette. He is
certainly aware of that. The post-season runs for two
months where every game is crucial. Games can
3
Claude Giroux (Photo Andrew King)
Flyers
R E P O R T
Giroux has more than made up for any players lost.
Giroux having a stellar season was not surprising
after his brilliant performance in the 2009-10 playoffs.
This was expected to be Carter and Richards’ team for
years to come. With the emergence of Giroux this
season, that has come into question. Giroux’s season
statistics project out to 75 points with him leading the
team. With his dazzling moves and highlight-reel
goals, this may become as much his team as theirs.
or Brian Boucher? Bobrovsky got the majority of
starts during the season but is a rookie and was not as
effective later in the season. But it is unclear if they
have the confidence in Bouch to take them all the way
to the Cup. He is 34 and has had many ups and
downs in his career. In all likelihood, it will be Bob
but Laviolette will not be apprehensive in making a
change.
Goaltending has been the team’s biggest weakness
since possibly all the way back to the 80s. It is
considered the team’s Achilles heel this season. GM
Holmgren seemed to be following the template of the
Chicago Blackhawks last season. Build a near
impenetrable defense and the goaltending will only
need to make routine saves. So a top-notch goalie is
not necessary. The only problem is that it should have
been a routine save that turned into the Stanley Cupwinning goal by Patrick Kane in overtime of Game 6
of the Finals last season.
Carter and Richards’ value to the team should not
be overlooked either. On a lesser team with more icetime, each would probably eclipse the 100-point
plateau this season. Each is in their 6th season and
have been consistent players who make those around
them better. Their value to the team goes beyond the
scoresheet and their absence would be notable.
The Flyers’ offense will be very difficult to shut
down in the playoffs. They have three quality scoring
lines with snipers on each of them. If one is keyed on
or goes cold, there are two other ones to pick it up.
Any opposing defense will have their hands full trying
to contain this unit.
Both Bobrovsky and Bouch are steady if
unspectacular goalies that can get the job done. They
tend net behind a strong defense so they should not
be faced with a plethora of odd-man rushes. They will
not be expected to win games on their own like the
Marty Brodeurs of the league sometimes do. The
Hawks won the Cup last season with goalie Antti
Niemi making few big saves. Can the Flyers do the
same with Bob or Bouch?
Defense
As impressive as the offense is, the Flyers’ defense
is the strongest unit on their team. It is the best
defense the Flyers have had in years debatably ever.
Last season, the Flyers had a strong top 4 on the blueline comprised of Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon
Coburn, and Matt Carle. Each played over 20 minutes
a game and seemed worn down by the Finals. In the
offseason to address this, GM Holmgren acquired
Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. These moves
have really upgraded this unit giving the team six
quality defensemen and making sure the top 4 are no
longer overworked. Their defense was arguably the
best in the NHL this season.
Conclusion
This is the most talented Flyers squad in quite a
while.
Anything less than a Stanley Cup
Championship will be considered a failure. Their
head coach has won a Cup already and took the Flyers
to within two games of it last season. They have
multiple offensive weapons spread throughout their
top three lines. Opposing teams cannot focus on just
one line. Their defense is imposing from top to
bottom. Their corps of six defensemen looks to be the
top unit in the NHL. The goaltending can be a little
suspect. But both of their netminders have shown
flashes of brilliance throughout this season.
Pronger is a former Hart and Norris Trophy winner
as league MVP and top defenseman who has been
through the battles and is still at the top of his game
at 36 years old. He is their leader on defense and in
many ways the leader of the team. He is a strongwilled, physical defenseman who can clear the crease,
send a crisp pass up the middle to a streaking forward,
and blast a shot from the blue-line. He is the one
player on the team they can least afford to lose both
on the ice and in the locker room. He missed a
number of games towards the end of the regular
season due to a hand injury but he is expected to be
100% in time for the playoffs.
The Flyers are one of but a few true Stanley Cup
contenders but they will still have to come to play
every game. This is something they failed to do late
in the regular season. Can they turn that switch on in
the playoffs? In today’s NHL, there likely will not be
any easy series. If they take a team lightly or play lazy,
they will be eliminated. It is commonplace for a #1
seed to be knocked out early in the playoffs. Exhibit
A is the Washington Capitals last season. The Flyers
will again need to display the drive and never-say-die
attitude that propelled them through 14 playoff
victories in the 2010 playoffs.
Nick Boynton was acquired at the trade deadline
to give the defense a little more depth and in case of
an injury. That role was probably going to be filled by
Oskars Bartulis but he suffered a season-ending injury
at the end of February.
Chris Pronger
(Photo Joe del Tufo)
Goaltending
The big question is: who will be the team’s
starting goaltender in the Playoffs? Sergei Bobrovsky
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The Flyers were a surprise team last year. This
season, no one is overlooking them. They have very
high expectations and will be under extremely close
scrutiny. It has been a while since they last tasted
from the Cup and this is a great opportunity for them
to finally end their drought.
Flyers
R E P O R T
Bobrovsky Has Played As Well As Many Top Flight Rookies
by Russ Cohen
The young Russian backstop played 76 games
over in Russia but that’s hardly the preferred method
to gain professional hockey experience yet that’s
exactly what he’s done. Chicago’s Corey Crawford
played 255 games in the AHL, yet their numbers are
comparable. The difference is Sergei Bobrovsky
wasn’t part of the Flyers player development model
until late last year when he was signed. The others
like Michal Neuvirth (Washington), Anders Lindback
(Nashville), Corey Schneider (Vancouver) and James
Reimer (Leafs) have all been associated with their
respective organizations for a longer period of time.
And that’s the way that’s it’s normally done.
The Flyers thought about drafting him back in
2006 but with no transfer agreement it’s hard for
teams to commit resources to players that may never
sign with the team. As a result he was passed on and
that had to bother this 6-2, 190 pound prospect.
“To tell you the truth, I was pretty upset when I
did not make the draft. But it was summer time
already, everyone was off and then the regular
season started and I totally put this issue away and
forgot about it,” he stated. “I can't say that the fact
that I didn't make it to the draft changed my life. I
did not give up a goal of getting to NHL but I prefer
to set goals that are within reach and I had plenty of
those with my Novokuznetsk team. If I was drafted I
would have definitely left for North America but I do
not think I would have stayed if I was sent to play in
AHL. I could have gotten the same kind of
experience in KHL and the only job I would have
accepted was an NHL job. So staying in Russia gave
me opportunity to gain valuable experience and
practice.”
Sergei Bobrovsky (Photo Andrew King)
In essence he blazed his own trail. There was a
murmur last May when the team signed him but the
team was in the playoffs and then eventually the
Stanley Cup, so he was certainly not discussed for
the rest of the year until training camp this season.
After a successful camp, he made the team and the
rest is history. For all intensive purposes he is
essentially the teams #1 goalie, although veteran
goalie Brian Boucher has done everything he can to
muddy up that picture with his stellar play. “BOB” is
still a strong contender for the Calder Trophy which
means he has stacked up well against the
competition.
“It is not to me to judge how I stack up to the
other young goalies in NHL. I have to play well and
prove myself and whoever wants to compare me to
others should do it themselves. I do not compare
myself to anyone. I am concentrated only on my own
goals and have no interest to look at others and
compare myself to them.”
Bobrovsky took the time over the All-Star break
to visit his girlfriend in Toronto which had to be nice
for him since he is pretty much on his own in
Philadelphia. At his age that could be a distraction
but to his credit it hasn’t been because this kid is so
mentally focused on his craft. You might even call
him boring, but the fact of the matter is he’s an
intelligent young netminder who is on a first place
team. You can’t ask for much more than that. His
(Photo Joe del Tufo)
mom recently moved in with him, presumably
through the end of the season so now he can benefit
from some home cooking.
Only three goaltenders have won the Calder since
2000 (nobody won during the lockout in 2004-05):
Evgeni Nabokov (2000-01), Andrew Raycroft (20035
04), and Steve Mason (2008-09). If Bobrovsky is
strong down the stretch he could become a Calder
Finalist. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Flyers
R E P O R T
Acquisition of Versteeg and Boynton Bolster Flyers’ Line-Up
The Philadelphia Flyers looking to add skill,
experience, and depth to their line-up in
anticipation of another long playoff run acquired
two players that were members of the Chicago
Blackhawks squad that defeated them in the
Stanley Cup Finals last June.
Nick Boynton (Photo Jim Coarse)
On February 14th, they traded the Toronto
Maple Leafs for winger Kris Versteeg. The Leafs
had previously acquired him in the off-season from
the Blackhawks. He scored 2 goals and 5 points in
the 6 games of the Cup Finals against the Flyers.
He has scored 20+ goals the last two seasons and
is on his way to another one this season.
Then on February 26th they claimed
defenseman Nick Boynton off waivers from the
Blackhawks. Boynton played in three games in the
Finals including the clincher but did not register
any points.
The Flyers clearly liked what they saw of the
pair in June and hope their additions will help put
them over the top in their quest for the Cup.
On coming to Philly, Versteeg said, “These guys
have been rolling along pretty darn well before I
came here. It’s about coming in and filling a role
and trying to help these guys out in any way I
Kris Versteeg (Photo Joe del Tufo)
Then in consecutive home games in early
March, he tallied a total of 3 goals. “You have to
get used to everybody. Sometimes it takes time to
get used to the systems and you get used to the
players at the same time,” he said on playing with
Richards.
On finding some success playing with Richards,
he said, “Those goals are all about Richie. He
makes some plays where you kind of go wow, the
way he holds onto the puck. He’s really patient so
you just have to find those areas and get open for
him when he’s got it…He’s a dangerous player.”
On coming to Philly, Boynton said, “I couldn't
be happier…I couldn't ask to be coming to a better
team or organization.” He added, “I've been
around the league for a while and I hope to bring
that experience, try to work hard and play solid
defense and chip in with whatever the team
needs.”
Boynton’s acquisition was more precautionary.
Oskars Bartulis had been the spare 7th defensemen
and had gone down with a season-ending injury.
Boynton was brought in to take his place. “Nick is
a right shot defenseman that will bring experience
and depth to our team,” Flyers general manager
Paul Holmgren said.
can… It’s just about getting in there and trying to
play hard and be a pest while playing with some
skill.”
The Flyers coveted Versteeg as he was expected
to be an ideal winger for center Mike Richards. He
was immediately placed on Richards’ line but it
took some time for them to find chemistry.
Versteeg only had one goal in his first 7 games with
the team.
“Sometimes it takes a little time to build it and
go on but it’s about going out and working hard for
each other,” he said. “It’s never fun when you feel
like you’re never helping the team in certain ways.
But for myself, I just try to go out there and try to
do other things to help the team, whether it’s
playing good defense or things like that,” he
added.
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Boynton is in his 10th full NHL season and has
almost 600 games of NHL experience. He is a good
option to fill in when one of their top 6 defensemen
suffers an injury or is on the mend.
The Flyers have added Kris Versteeg and Nick
Boynton to the roster and hope they are the final
missing pieces to the Flyers’ Stanley Cup puzzle.
Each is fresh off winning the Cup last season and
hope that experience will benefit the Flyers this
season.
Philadelphia Flyers April’s of the Past
By David Sherman, "SCOREMAN"
April 6, 1968 vs St. Louis Flyers 4, Blues 3
The Flyers win a playoff game for the first time in franchise history and even the Stanley
Cup quarterfinal series against St. Louis at one apiece.
April 12, 1993 vs NY Rangers Flyers 1, Rangers 0
The Rangers are eliminated from making the playoffs and fail to win the Stanley Cup for
a record 53rd consecutive year.
April 10, 1973 vs Minnesota Flyers 3, North Stars 2, OT
Gary Dornhoefer becomes the first Flyer to score an overtime goal at the Spectrum. The
team won two nights later to advance to the Stanley Cup semifinals for the first time.
April 22, 1995 at New Jersey Flyers 4, Devils 3, OT
The Flyers clinch the Atlantic Division title, their first division championship since 1987.
April 22, 2003 vs Toronto Flyers 6, Maple Leafs 1
The Flyers win Game 7 of a playoff series for the first time in 14 years.
April 14, 1974 at Atlanta Flyers 4, Flames 3, OT
Dave Schultz scores in overtime to complete a comeback from a three-goal deficit and
enable the Flyers to sweep a playoff series for the first time.
April 17, 2004 vs New Jersey Flyers 3, Devils 1
The defending Stanley Cup champions go 0 for 3 at the Wachovia Center and are ousted
in the first round of the playoffs.
April 21, 1977 at Toronto Flyers 4, Maple Leafs 3
For the first time in their history, the Flyers win three road games in a playoff series.
April 11, 2009 at NY Islanders Flyers 3, Islanders 2
The Flyers sweep the Islanders in a season series for the first time since 1973-74.
April 28, 1985 vs NY Islanders Flyers 1, Islanders 0
The second shutout of the playoffs for Pelle Lindbergh launches the Flyers into the
Conference finals.
April 11, 2010 vs NY Rangers Flyers 2, Rangers 1, SO
At the conclusion of perhaps the greatest regular season game in Philadelphia Flyers
history, a playoff berth is earned while the Rangers are eliminated.
April 29, 1989 at Pittsburgh Flyers 4, Penguins 1
Substitute goaltender Ken Wregget leads the Flyers to their first ever Game 7 road victory.
Spectrum Now Nothing But Rubble
The demolition of the Spectrum, home of
the Philadelphia Flyers from 1967 to 1996,
began on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 via
a wrecking ball. It has been a very slow
process but as of March 2011, the
Spectrum is just about a pile of rubble.
After it is all cleared away, there are plans
to begin construction of Philly Live, a
dining and entertainment area adjacent to
the Wells Fargo Center in South
Philadelphia.
The Spectrum had been the location of
several landmark hockey games including
the clinching game of the Philadelphia
Flyers’ 1st Stanley Cup victory, the
infamous Flyers vs. Soviet Central Red
Army game, and the Phantoms’ 1st Calder
7
Cup victory. It had hosted the Stanley Cup
Finals 6 separate years as the Flyers played
for the Cup in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980,
1985, and 1987. It had also hosted the
NBA Finals in 4 separate years as the 76ers
played for the championship in 1977,
1980, 1982, and 1983.
PhantomsPhocus
(Photos Andrew King)
By Fran Rubert
Well the second half of the season has seen the Phantoms be more competitive
especially since Michael Leighton was assigned to the team back in December.
With fifteen games left in the season, Adirondack is currently last in their division
but have been as high as sixth place. They have been battling Albany and
Syracuse in the bottom half of the standings.
Since January 1st the team has twelve wins, six shoot-out losses, one overtime
loss and seven regulation losses. Denis Hamel leads the team in scoring with
twenty one goals and eighteen assists. Other double digit scorers are: Eric
Wellwood with fourteen goals, twelve assists, Mike Testwuide, twelve goals,
eighteen assists and Ben Holmstrom twelve goals and nineteen assists.
Mike Testwuide leads the team with a plus six rating. In the net Michael
Leighton’s record is seven wins, ten losses, three shoot-out losses with a .921 save
percentage and a 2.31 goals against average. Johan Backlund is sharing the net
duties and his record is eight wins, fifteen losses and three shootout losses.
AHL Eastern Division Standings
Won
Loss
OTL
SOL
PTS
W/B Scranton
46
18
0
1
93
Hershey
41
22
1
4
87
Charlotte
36
23
2
6
80
Norfolk
33
19
8
5
79
Binghamton
34
25
3
4
75
Albany
27
34
1
3
58
Syracuse
24
33
3
4
55
Adirondack
21
33
4
6
52
Michael Leighton (Source: Andrew King)
Johan Backlund (Source: Andrew King)
Eric Wellwood (Source: Andrew King)
8
PhantomsOneonOne
withLukePither
By Fran Rubert
Luke Pither starred for the Barrie Colts (OHL) in 2009-10 and finished third in
scoring with 36 goals and 58 assists in 67 games behind the 2010 NHL #1 draft
pick Taylor Hall (Edmonton) and the NHL #2 pick Tyler Seguin (Boston). In 200809 he combined for 35 goals, 37 assists for the Belleville Bulls (OHL) and the
Guelph Storm (OHL).
Center Ice: They kind of jumped on you guys in the first period?
Luke Pither: I think we wanted to get a better start. Down 2-0 wasn’t the start we
wanted. A couple of lackadaisical plays in the d-zone and they got up and put us
behind the eight ball quick. But we came out in the second period and played a
little harder, got a couple of goals, tried to fight back there; the goal at the end
there really hurt us; we couldn’t really bounce back then afterwards.
Center Ice: Has it been an adjustment for the players with the changes of the
roster?
Luke Pither: We have a lot of rookies in the line-up that are still getting used to
pro hockey and this league; it has been a tough start. We are battling for wins and
we have made a lot of changes here. We brought in some veteran forwards and
defenseman to try to help out the young guys and to make it a better team. It has
been an adjustment and hopefully it is going to pay off for us in the near future.
Center Ice: You had a good junior career scoring points but have you had to
make adjustments yourself?
Luke Pither: Yeah, there are a lot of things that I need to learn, especially I was
not a real physical player in the junior ranks and that is something that I have to
work on and I am still working on everyday. For most of the time I have been on
the fourth line and I am pretty much a role player so I have to be simple and get
pucks in and not the fancy plays. So when I do get the opportunity in a scoring
role I have to be ready and I have to be solid as well.
Center Ice: You have mentioned you have to be more physical?
Luke Pither: Well yeah we were soft in the first period and we had to start making
harder plays, getting the pucks in and working their defenseman low; in the end
we did not come out with the win but we did some good things. I think we played
in their zone the last two periods.
Center Ice: Has there been a change in your system since the coaching change?
Luke Pither: There is always little tweaks here and there but for the most part we
have been sticking to the same system that the Flyers are using; John Paddock has
been really good with the adjustment to most of the game plan that the Flyers are
using.
Center Ice: What players did you following growing up?
Luke Pither: Growing up, Toronto was the closest team so I really watched Mats
Sundin and Doug Gilmour; I kind of looked up to those guys and I was a Leafs
fan; it has been a tough stretch for them over the last few years but they were
probably the two I looked up to.
Center Ice: Has anyone really helped you here in your first year?
Luke Pither: We have a lot of good leaders in the room that have been here, Dan
Jancevski has been a great captain to look up to. And if you ever need help and
stuff, you can talk to him. Denis Hamel has been good since he has come in. Greg
Moore. We have a lot of leadership guys that us young guys can look up to.
9
Luke Pither
(Source: Andrew King)
OneonOne
withPhantomsAssistantCoach
Riley Cote
By Fran Rubert
Center Ice: You have a young team here, how do you keep things positive?
Riley Cote: Yes we are a really young team. All you can do is to stay positive and
help them along; there is no sense to get down on them and hard on them. We
look at a lot of video and show them clips and teach them. It takes a lot to be a
pro and these guys are from college and juniors; it is a different animal. These
guys are learning every day.
Center Ice: What are your duties with the team?
Riley Cote: I work with the forwards; just basically five-on-five stuff. For me I just
try to keep the game simple; hockey is a simple game and you do not need to
make it complicated. I preach hard work, getting pucks in deep, establish a forecheck and try to get these guys to play as hard as they can and try to make the
game simple for them.
Center Ice: Talking to some of the players they mentioned that they have to change
their game a little bit because of the more physical play of this league?
Riley Cote: Yeah, playing pro is different from where they came from. Sometimes
you have to adjust and take a step back, change your role up a little bit and play
more simple-minded and aggressive. You are not going to get away with the same
dippsy-doodle that you did in junior so they have some time to adjust; it takes
time to find what type of player you have to be at this level.
Riley Cote (Source: Andrew King)
Riley Cote was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2005 and
played three seasons with the Phantoms from 2004-2007 before moving up to the
big club. A hard- nosed player he started his hockey career with Prince Albert in
the Western Hockey League before becoming a professional in 2002 with St.
John’s in the AHL.
This year he joined the staff of the Phantoms as an assistant coach. Center Ice
caught up to Cote when the team was in Atlantic City this past December to play
the Albany Devils.
Center Ice: How has the adjustment been from player to coach?
Riley Cote: Well it definitely has been an adjustment from playing hockey since
I was four years old and you go from one day playing to not playing to now behind
the bench. It is a big difference but I enjoy it; it’s kind of up my alley and it is a
good gig. We just have to get the boys on a winning tract here and things will be
a lot smoother. Adjustment is good and I am on the ice everyday so it is the closest
thing to playing.
Center Ice: As a player were into the x’s and o’s?
Riley Cote: You know I think every player does or you would not be playing in
the NHL so you to have pay attention. Every guy knows how to play the game but
some have more abilities than others. So as far as hockey sense and understanding
the game most players do understand that to be able to play at that level. You
learn a lot while you are playing and you learn a lot coaching so it is a learning
process and there is a lot more to learn.
10
(Source: Joe del Tufo)
E C H L
R E P O R T
E C H L
R E P O R T
Trenton DevilsSCENE
By Fran Rubert
With less than ten games left in the schedule the team is going to miss the
playoffs again and they currently sit last in the conference. Two players who are
having good offensive seasons are Ryan Ginand, 28 goals, 41 assists in 61 games,
Ryan Hayes 20 goals, 22 assists in 54 games and is tenth in the league for scoring
rookies. First year professional Matt Lombardi, 17 goals, 13 assists in fifty six
games is also having a good season. Defenseman Martin Nolet in 41 games has
scored 3 goals, 3 assists and a +4 rating to lead the team in that category.
Goaltender Jeff Lerg is currently with the team and the Livonia, Michigan
native has played 19 games with 8 wins, 10 losses while posting a 3.55 goals
against average and a .892 save percentage. Dave Caruso (20 games) and Shane
Connelly (22 games) shared the goaltending duties for most of the season.
Special teams has been a problem for the team all season. On the power play
Trenton ranks 15th of 19th at 16.7 % and on the penalty kill they are at 17th,
78.4%.
After a recent game Center Ice talked to Trenton’s head coach Kevin Dean
about the team’s play and what he expects from them from now to the end of the
season.
Center Ice: Coach, the team is not going to make the playoffs, what are you
expecting of the players from now to the end of the season?
Head Coach Kevin Dean: Well we are hoping they continue to improve, as of late
we have been playing better.
Center Ice: The special teams have been a problem all season, is that because of
the up and down call-ups in the league?
Kevin Dean: Well we struggled all year but we have been a little better lately but
we never really had the big person on the power-play to generate something.
Standings: Eastern Conference
W
Atlantic Division
Reading
38
Elmira
29
Trenton
23
L
18
24
33
OTL
2
6
2
SOL
3
3
5
PTS
81
67
53
South Division
Greenville
South Carolina
Florida
Gwinnett
W
37
33
32
29
L
21
26
26
26
OTL
3
2
1
2
SOL
1
2
3
5
PTS
78
70
68
65
North Division
Kalamazoo
Wheeling
Cincinnati
Toledo
W
34
31
27
28
L
20
28
25
28
OTL
2
0
6
3
SOL
5
3
3
2
PTS
75
65
63
61
Western Conference
Mountain Division
Alaska
Idaho
Utah
Victoria
W
38
29
30
27
L
20
22
25
32
OTL
2
4
4
1
SOL
1
8
2
2
PTS
79
70
66
57
Pacific Division
Las Vegas
Bakersfield
Stockton
Ontario
W
35
34
31
22
L
20
25
22
35
OTL
3
2
4
2
SOL
2
1
5
4
PTS
75
71
71
50
Center Ice: Is there one facet of the game you are looking to improve on?
Kevin Dean: I would like to see us get our goals-against down and we have been
gradually doing that in the last half dozen games.
Trenton Devils forward
J.S. Berube parked in
the crease.
(Source: Andrew King)
11
E C H L
R E P O R T
E C H L
R E P O R T
Trenton DevilsProfile
Matt Lombardi
By Fran Rubert
Center Ice: You come from a
winning program how hard has
it been to adjust this year?
Center Ice Magazine sat down
with first year professional
forward Matt Lombardi after a
recent game. The Boston College
alumni talked about his first year
in the league and the current
season. In 145 games for the
Eagles he scored eleven goals, 22
assists. He was named the Hockey
East Tournament MVP and was
the team’s assistant captain. The
23-year old was born in Milton,
Massachusetts.
Matt Lombardi: It is different but
I was lucky to be at BC and do
well there but it’s a part of being
a pro; you have to deal with
things like this; I am okay with it;
it can be frustrating; it can be
frustrating for everyone; everyone
hates to lose. We are doing our
best to stay positive and try to do
well down the stretch.
With ten games left in the season
he has recorded 17 goals, 13
assists in 56 games.
Center Ice: What makes Boston
College such a good program?
Matt Lombardi: It is a tradition
and it comes down from Jerry
York the coach; he is an
unbelievable guy; he involves his
players; he just makes it fun to
go there; you win games and
championships; it is hard work
back.
Center Ice: What are you looking
to accomplish the rest of season for
yourself with the team not making
the playoffs?
Matt Lombardi: Being a first year
guy just trying to finish strong; it is
job and you are playing for
contracts for next year; you want
to keep on improving and just try
to keep on getting better, continue
to polish and work on your game.
You want to move on and try to
become the best you can so you
cannot just pack it in just because
you are not making the playoff.
You have to have some motivation.
Center Ice: What has been the biggest
adjustment for you this year?
Matt Lombardi: Coming out of college I
think just playing to my strengths; I actually
found it a lot easier but you have to be more
consistent.
Center Ice: Because of less games played in
college have you hit the wall now playing so
many games?
Matt Lombardi: Well sometimes your legs
do not feel great but it just very important
that you take care of your body, eating right,
get your sleep; do the right things after
practice so you can recover and stay in
Center Ice: You are from
Massachusetts so is that where
you wanted to go?
Forward Matt Lombardi (Photo Fran Rubert)
game shape. It is hard; by this time I
probably would have played only thirty
something games and we are getting close
to sixty already. It is an adjustment; you just
have to find the right routines.
Center Ice: As a young hockey player who
did you follow?
Matt Lombardi: When I was real young
going to Bruins games I liked the Montreal
Canadians Russ Courtnall because he could
skate like the wind; I also liked Joe Sakic
and Peter Forsberg.
Center Ice: How would you describe your
style of play?
Matt Lombardi: I am a grinder; work hard,
fore-check; take my shot when I have it.
12
Matt Lombardi: Yes, ever since I
was young that is where I
wanted to go so it was a dream
come true.
Center Ice: American hockey has taken off in
the last ten years; it has had to help you and
other college players?
Matt Lombardi: Yes we have definitely seen
more college players playing pro now in the
NHL; I think it is great for the game for kids
growing up playing hockey they have more
role models to look up to; it is impressive in
how much it has grown and continues to go
in that direction.
E C H L
R E P O R T
E C H L
R E P O R T
Reading Royals REPORT
By Fran Rubert Jr.
Reading is now 2nd in the conference and with the regulation
season coming to a close they are battling call-ups while trying to
maintain their drive for the playoffs.
Ben Gordon is the team’s leading scorer and ranks in the top
twenty in the ECHL with 23 goals, 30 assists. Other team leaders
are Ryan Cruthers, 20 goals, 26 assists, Andrew Sarauer 23 goals,
29 assists, Chris Blight 17 goals, 26 assists, Casey Haines 15 goals,
14 assists, Yannick Riendeau 15 goals, 23 assists and Olivier Labelle
16 goals, 4 assists.
Goaltender Matt Dalton is tenth in the league with a 2.77 goals
against average, .919 save percentage with 17 wins, 11 losses and 1
overtime loss.
On specialty teams Reading is 8th on the power play at 18.3% and
5th on the penalty kill at 83.3 %.
Standings as of March 19:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Reading
Elmira
Trenton
W
39
31
24
L
20
25
34
OTL
2
6
2
SOL
3
3
6
PTS
83
71
56
South Division
Greenville
South Carolina
Florida
Gwinnett
W
40
35
34
29
L
22
27
27
29
OTL
3
2
1
2
SOL
1
3
3
5
PTS
84
75
72
65
North Division
Kalamazoo
Wheeling
Cincinnati
Toledo
W
35
34
30
29
L
22
28
26
30
OTL
2
0
6
4
SOL
5
3
4
2
PTS
77
71
70
64
Western Conference
Mountain Division
Alaska
Idaho
Utah
Victoria
W
41
29
32
29
L
21
23
27
32
OTL
2
4
4
2
SOL
1
9
2
2
PTS
85
71
70
62
Pacific Division
Bakersfield
Stockton
Las Vegas
Ontario
W
37
33
35
23
L
25
22
24
37
OTL
2
5
3
2
SOL
1
5
2
4
PTS
77
76
75
52
Goaltender Matt Dalton (Photo Andrew King)
Royals center Tyler Murovich (Photo Andrew King)
13
14
E C H L
R E P O R T
E C H L
R E P O R T
OneOnOne: Andrew Sarauer
With Fran Rubert
Center Ice: You came so close last year. Does that give
you incentive for this year?
Center Ice sat down with 3rd year player Andrew
Sarauer after a recent game. Sarauer who is from
Outland, Saskatchewan played four years at Northern
Michigan University. He also played before that in the
British Columbia Junior Hockey League.
Andrew Sarauer: Yeah, especially with the guys
coming back it left a bitter taste in their mouth. You
get that close, you want it so bad. We brought back a
good group of core guys; I still think about it every
day; we just did not come through. I think we have
the team again to do it this year.
Center Ice: The team started out slow this year but
now you are one of the top teams in the league. What
turned it around for you guys?
Center Ice: What hockey players did you follow
growing up?
Andrew Sarauer: Probably just getting to know some
of the guys coming from different teams and different
leagues. The beginning of the year you just want to get
a feel for the guys; some guys are playing under a new
coach. Once we started to get some chemistry going,
things took off so it has been good.
Andrew Sarauer: It is kind of funny that I am playing
here because growing up I was a huge Philadelphia
Flyers fan; I remember back in 1997 in the Cup finals
when they got swept by Detroit. I remember
Desjardins. I still follow them. Obviously I like Wayne
Gretzky who was probably my favorite player.
Center Ice: Why did you choose to play college hockey?
Andrew Sarauer: Well I was playing junior hockey in
the BCHL at the time; that is where you play for a
scholarship and I was not good enough to make the
cut and play in the Western Hockey League at 17 so I
went the college route and then I just started getting
recruited by some schools and I ruled out a couple and
Northern Michigan seemed like the best fit for me.
Center Ice: What has been the big difference in the
jump for you from college to professional hockey?
Andrew Sarauer: Obviously the number of games; it is
tough when you played the two every weekend and if
you are hurt or out of the line-up it could be a month
without playing a game. If you do not score a goal in
two to four games it seems like forever. It is good for
road games because you come right back after back-toback games and rebound. Yeah a 72-game schedule
plus 16 last year in the playoffs; by the end of the year
you are just gassed. So it definitely is the number of
games.
Center Ice: What do you do personally do to prepare
yourself for the season?
Andrew Sarauer: You always have to be focused and
stay positive; in back-to-back games you just have to
take it out of your head. Obviously you have to train
right, good cardiac; you play a lot every night so you
have to take care of your body; make sure you drink
lots of fluids and ice down.
Center Ice: Are you happy with the start of your season?
Andrew Sarauer: I had a bit of a slow start; I was
kind of playing good before the break there and
things were going good. Yes I was happy with it. I
just have to step back down with my injury; it is
going to be four or five weeks, fifteen games out of
your schedule and now there is so many call-ups
and especially being a leader on this team I want to
be out there with the guys; it’s tough.
Center Ice: How much of a culture shock was it for
you coming from Saskatoon to the United States?
Andrew Sarauer (Photo Fran Rubert)
Andrew Sarauer: At first maybe there is an
adjustment but every day you are playing hockey;
people down here may do some stuff different but this
is my seventh year in the States having played at
Northern Michigan for four years and here in
Pennsylvania for three years; I love here, I don’t mind
being away from home at all. I could live here forever.
Center Ice: Do you have a big family?
Center Ice: It seems at this level the goaltender is
always in flux; how do you handle that?
Andrew Sarauer: The biggest thing I noticed at this
level is the goalies are good at playing with the puck;
Hutchinson is good but everyone is pretty similar; you
just want to make sure they are able to see the puck
because if they do, they are going to make the save.
They are good enough at this level that they can stop
the puck. Basically lots of communication is what you
see.
Center Ice: What are looking to work on to improve
your play?
Andrew Sarauer: I think the biggest thing is my
strength; I am a tall guy; I just want to get stronger on
the puck. Be responsible at both ends. Some guys will
go up when they are on the first two lines and after that
you are on a checking line; you want to be reliable at
both ends of the ice.
Center Ice: It seems like you have a good skating team?
Andrew Sarauer: Yes you have to be good skater to
start with; it is what every team looks for. We have a
really good team; a really skilled team; we need to keep
the puck out of the net more; we win a lot of games 76 and 6-4. It is great we score a lot of goals but come
playoff time you have to tighten up.
15
Andrew Sarauer: I have two older brothers who
played hockey growing up; they both taught me how
to play when I was young.
Center Ice: Have you seen a difference in styles in the
various leagues?
Andrew Sarauer: Well between college and the ECHL
there is definitely a big difference; college is so
defensive. Our coach in college was if you turned the
puck over anytime you would be getting benched; he
would rely on winning games 2-1, 3-2. You could not
really skate with puck. You would just dump it in. You
would roll all four lines; here you have ten forwards;
guys are playing a little more skilled game; a lot more
chances; the goalies are seeing more pucks. That is
what I see; I am not sure about the Western League. I
didn’t play in it obviously and they are a lot younger;
I think it is more of a scoring game too.
R I N K
D I R E C T O R Y
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P.O. Box 472
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551 N. York Road
P.O. Box 178
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17
H I G H
S C H O O L E
H O C K E Y
R E P O R T
High School Hockey Standings
High School Standings-Male
Central League
Springfield
Radnor
Garnet Valley
Conestoga
Haverford
Penncrest
Ridley
Won
9
7
6
5
5
3
1
Lost
1
2
4
5
6
8
10
Tie
2
3
2
2
1
1
1
Flyers A Cup Results
3-10: Penncrest 4 Bayard Rustin 3
3-10: Springfield 2 Sun Valley 1
3-10: Radnor 6 Williamstown 5
3-10: Unionville 1 Archbishop Carroll 0
3-14: Garnett Valley 4 Penncrest 2.
3-14: Unionville 4 West Chester East 1.
3-14: Radnor 3 Methacton 4.
3-14: Springfield 3 West Chester Henderson 2.
3-16: Unionville 4 Methacton 2.
3-18 Final: Springfield 3 Unionville 2 OT.
• Jonathan Ruiz (Williamstown) six goals.
PTS
20
17
14
12
11
7
3
*Teddy Smith (Radnor) 15 goals, 11 assists.
AAA Philadelphia
LaSalle
Holy Ghost Prep
Malvern Prep
Cardinal O’Hara
Father Judge
Archbishop Ryan
Roman Catholic
St. Joe’s Prep
Archbishop Wood
•
Won
13
12
9
9
6
7
5
3
0
Lost
1
2
5
7
6
9
8
12
14
Tie
1
1
1
0
3
0
2
0
2
PTS
27
25
19
16
15
14
12
6
2
Brendan Bradley (HGP), 11 goals, 16 assists.
Chestmont League
National Division
Bayard Rustin
Unionville
W.C. Henderson
West Chester East
Downingtown East
Salesianum
Downingtown West
Won
12
10
10
9
8
7
3
Lost
4
4
5
6
7
8
12
Tie
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
PTS
24
22
21
19
17
15
7
American Division
Boyertown
Avon Grove
Spring-Ford
Perkiomen Valley
Methacton
Kennett
Great Valley
Won
7
8
7
8
6
4
4
Lost
5
7
6
8
9
11
11
Tie
4
1
3
0
1
1
1
PTS
18
17
17
16
13
9
9
•
Flyers AA Cup Results
3-10: Council Rock South 3 Perkiomen Valley 2.
3-10: Central Bucks East 3 Conestoga 1.
3-10: Central Bucks South 2 Downingtown East 5.
3-10: Washington Township 5 William Tenent 3.
3-15: Central Bucks East 3 Boyertown 0.
3-15: Council Rock South 5 North Penn 3.
3-15: Washington Township 2 Spring-Ford 4.
3-15: Cherokee 7 Downingtown East 5.
3-17: Council Rock South 3 Cherokee 1.
3-17: Central Bucks East 6 Spring-Ford 0.
3-21 Final: Council Rock South 5 vs. Central Bucks East 2.
*Ryan Urban (Downingtown East) 7 goals, 4 assists.
Flyers AAA Cup Results
2-28: Roman Catholic 2 Salesianum 1
2-28: St. Joe’s Prep 2 Archbishop Wood 1.
3-2: Holy Ghost Prep 4 Roman Catholic 0.
3-2: LaSalle 5 St. Joe’s Prep 0.
3-2: Cardinal O’Hara 5 Father Judge 6.
3-2: Malvern Prep 6 Archbishop Ryan 0.
3-4: LaSalle 3 Father Judge 2.
3-4: Holy Ghost Prep 2 Malvern Prep 3.
3-7 Final: LaSalle 3 Malvern 2 OT.
*Thomas Kane (Malvern) 3 goals, 2 assists.
Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League
Pure Division
Won Lost
Tie
PTS
Parkland
12
0
0
24
Quakertown
7
5
0
14
Southern Lehigh
5
7
0
10
Emmaus
4
8
0
8
Freedom
2
10
0
4
• Daniel Plinke (Parkland), 44 goals, 38 assists.
Ryan Urban, 20 goals, 14 assists.
Non-Pure Division
Won Lost
Tie
Pleasant Valley/Palisades
10
2
1
Northampton/Whitehall
10
2
1
Phillipsburg
7
5
1
Becca/Central
5
6
2
Easton
3
9
1
Liberty
1
12
0
• Patrick Dolan (PB), 44 goals, 18 assists.
18
PTS
21
21
15
12
7
2
C O L L E G E
H O C K E Y
R E P O R T
College Hockey Standings
USA Today Women’s College Poll - March 8th
1. University of Wisconsin
2. Cornell University
3. University of Minnesota
4. Boston University
5. Mercyhurst College
6. Boston College
7. University Minnesota-Duluth
8. Dartmouth College
9. North Dakota University
10. Providence College
Won Lost Tie
34---2---2
30---2---1
26---9---2
25---6---4
29---5---0
23--6---6
22---8---3
22--11---0
20— 13—3
22---12--1
USA Today Men’s College Poll-March 7
1. University of North Dakota
2. Boston College
3. Yale University
4. Union College
5. Michigan University
6. Denver University
7. Miami University
8. Notre Dame University
9. Merrimack College
10. New Hampshire University
11. University Minnesota Duluth
12. University Nebraska-Omaha
13. Boston University
14. Maine University
15. Western Michigan University
Won Lost Tie
26----8-----3
26----7-----1
23----5-----1
25----7-----4
23----9-----4
21----10----5
19-----9-----6
21-----10---5
22-----8-----4
19-----9-----6
20-----9-----6
21-----13---2
18-----10---8
17-----10---7
16-----10---10
ECAC Standings
W
L
Union
17
3
Yale
17
4
Dartmouth
12
8
Cornell
11
9
Rensselaer
11
9
Princeton
11
9
Clarkson
9
12
Quinnipiac
6
9
Brown
8
12
Harvard
7
14
St. Lawrence
6
15
Colgate
4
15
Playoffs First Round:
March 6: St. Lawrence 2 Princeton 1
Colgate 2 Rensselaer 1 2OT.
T
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
7
2
1
1
3
PTS
36
35
26
24
24
24
19
19
18
15
13
11
Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association
North Division
University Maryland-Baltimore
Temple University
Rider University
St. Joseph’
s University
Seton Hall
Rowan
The College of New Jersey
Penn State
Monmouth
Lafayette
Won
Lost
Tie
SOL/OTL
Pts.
6
6
4
3
3
2
2
1
0
0
1
1
2
3
4
1
2
0
5
6
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
12
12
8
7
6
6
4
3
0
0
South Division
Liberty
Kennesaw
Virginia Tech
Life
East Carolina University
Won
5
3
2
1
0
Lost
1
3
2
2
3
Tie
0
0
0
0
0
SOL/OTL
0
0
0
0
0
Pts.
10
6
4
2
0
Eastern State Collegiate Hockey League
Delaware
Rhode Island
Penn State
Robert Morris University
West Chester State University
D-1
Won
11
12
10
5
2
Lost
3
3
5
11
14
Tie
0
0
0
0
0
SOL
1
0
1
0
0
Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference
National Division
Neumann University
Alvernia University
Penn State-Brandywine
Rutgers University-Camden
Richard Stockton
West Chester University
East Stroudsburg University
D-3
Won
Lost
T
SOL
OTL
Pts.
12
10
9
8
7
6
4
2
3
2
5
7
4
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
25
21
18
16
14
12
9
American Division
Rowan
Shippensburg
Widener University
Bloomsburg University
Lehigh University
East Stroudsburg II
Lost
7
6
6
4
7
7
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
SOL
0
0
1
2
0
0
OTL
1
1
0
0
1
0
Pts.
15
14
11
10
2
0
Pts.
26
26
21
10
4
Playoff Champion: Rhode Island 4 Delaware 3.
Won
7
7
5
4
1
0
Playoff Champion: West Chester 4 P.S.U Brandywine 1.
19
ICE Talk
Eastern Conference Playoff Preview
Atlanta Thrashers
Dustin Byfulgien (Source: Jim Coarse)
The Thrashers were looking like the NHL’s most surprising
team for much of the 1st half of the 2010-11 season.
Defenseman Dustin Byfulgien was looking like a Norris
Trophy candidate and the playoffs were a strong
possibility. Then they went 2-7-2 in February and
plummeted down the Eastern Conference standings.
Byfulgien had a total of 4 points that month. They did
make several moves around the trade deadline to try and
put them in a better position to make the playoffs. They
acquired defenseman Mark Stuart and forwards Blake
Wheeler and Radek Dvorak and parted with center Rich
Peverley and defenseman Brent Sopel. Overall, the
Thrashers have had a much improved season. The offseason acquisition of Byfulgien and winger Andrew Ladd
from the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks has
been invaluable. They have been the heart of the team
and allowed their youngsters a better environment to
develop. Forwards Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart, and
Bryan Little and defenseman Tobias Enstrom have all
made significant strides in their development this season.
They should contend for the playoffs but it will tough.
Their brutal February has probably crippled their playoff
hopes for this season. But the team has a lot of promise
for next season.
Boston Bruins
Zdeno Chara (Source: Joe del Tufo)
The Bruins have loaded up and look ready for a long
playoff run. They are in a prime position to claim the
Northeast Division. They seem to have confidently
bounced back from their demoralizing dismissal in last
season’s playoffs in the 2nd Round by the Philadelphia
Flyers after leading the series 3 to 0. Last season, the
Bruins had one of the worst offenses in the league in large
part due to a number of injuries. This season Patrice
Bergeron and Milan Lucic have been mostly healthy and
have been at the top of the team’s scoring leaders. They
also traded for winger Nathan Horton in the off-season.
He scored 20 or more goals each of the last 5 seasons with
the Panthers and made it a 6th as a member of the Bruins
in 2010-11. The team has missed Marc Savard who has
only played 25 games this season. The team added
forwards Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly at the trade
deadline which should give them even more offensive
depth. Their big move at the deadline was on defense
though. They acquired offensive defenseman Tomas
Kaberle. He should give a boost to an already impressive
blue-line that includes former Norris Trophy winner
Zdeno Chara. Goalie Tim Thomas has been the Team
MVP and seems the front-runner for another Vezina
Trophy. The Bruins have not been to the Conference
Finals in almost 20 years. They have a prime opportunity
to end that streak this season.
Buffalo Sabres
Ryan Miller (Source: Mike del Tufo)
The Sabres will probably be in a dog-fight the rest of the
regular season to make the playoffs. Having the reigning
Vezina Trophy winner in Ryan Miller in their corner is a
huge boon to their cause. He is not having as strong a
season as last year but he is the main reason they are even
contending for the post-season. Their offense has
struggled most of this season. Center Derek Roy, usually
one of their top scorers, was lost for the season after
playing only 35 games. Drew Stafford is having a career
year despite missing a nice chunk of the season due to
several injuries. He is averaging almost a point-per-game.
Thomas Vanek, Stafford, and Jason Pominville should all
notch 20 or more goals but they need more. The Sabres
did acquire Brad Boyes at the trade deadline. He has
scored 25 or more goals three times in his career including
43 for the St. Louis Blues in 2007-08. The blue-line has
been a strength as Jordan Leopold, an off-season free
agent signing, has been a pleasant surprise. He along with
reigning Calder Trophy Tyler Myers and Steve Montador
have carried this unit. The Sabres’ fortunes, as usual, rest
on the shoulders of Miller. If he is stellar the rest of the
season, the Sabres will cruise into the playoffs. Otherwise
they could be the odd team out.
20
Carolina Hurricanes
Eric Staal (Source: Fran Rubert)
The Hurricanes are a bubble team. They had a tough
February going 4-6-3 or they would be in a stronger playoff
position. They have a number of games down the stretch
against the other teams (Atlanta and Buffalo) competing
for the last playoff spot. Their fate rests in their own
hands. At the trade deadline, the Canes made several
moves bringing in Cory Stillman and defenseman Bryan
Allen and trading away Sergei Samsonov. They actually
brought back Stillman which is a fairly common thing for
the Canes to do. Winger Erik Cole and defenseman Joe
Corvo are both in their second stints with the club.
Stillman should bring a little more offense to the team.
Captain Eric Staal is their top offensive weapon with
rookie Jeff Skinner, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, and Cole
providing him some support. All should score at least 20
goals while Staal may reach 35. Corvo leads a somewhat
suspect defense along with Joni Pitkanen. Goalie Cam
Ward has been solid in net facing a lot of shots most
games. When he is hot, he can take the Canes all the way
to the Stanley Cup as he did in 2006. That is unlikely this
year though. The Canes should make the playoffs but it
could come right down to the end of the season.
Florida Panthers
Scott Clemmensen (Source: Joe del Tufo)
The Panthers will once again miss the playoffs. Their last
playoff game was in 2000. Their last playoff win was in
1997. They were very active at the trade deadline dealing
away defensemen Dennis Wideman, Bryan Allen, and
Bryan McCabe and forwards Radek Dvorak, Chris Higgins,
Michael Frolik, and Cory Stillman. They are clearly in the
ICE Talk
rebuilding phase. They finished in 14th place out of 15
teams in 2009-10. They may repeat that feat in 2010-11.
Their top forwards are Stephen Weiss, David Booth, and
Mike Santorelli. Each will be hard pressed to reach the 25goal mark or score 60 points. Their defense saw a turnover of 3 of their top 4 blue-liners. Goalies Tomas Vokoun
and Scott Clemmensen will be seeing even more shots
than they had been. Their net-minders have been the lone
bright spot on the team. They have similar statistics with
Vokoun playing about twice as much. Each has kept the
Panthers in games they should have been blown out of.
GM Dale Tallon has traded away many of his older players
and is looking at starting anew next season with a lot of
youth. They had three 1st round picks in 2010 and each
of them will be given every opportunity to make the
Panthers’ squad next season.
Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price (Source: Fran Rubert)
The Canadiens stunned the Washington Capitals and the
Pittsburgh Penguins last season en route to the Eastern
Conference Finals. No one will be underestimating them
this season as they have been a strong team all season.
Their biggest strength has been in net. Carey Price has
taken the reins with the trade of Jaroslav Halak and has
not looked back. He has posted numbers that put him in
the mix for the Vezina Trophy. He has 8 shut-outs this
season as of March 18th. He had none last season and a
total of 4 in his career before this season. Mike
Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Brian
Gionta lead the offense. All should reach the 20-goal
plateau with Gionta possibly getting to 30. The team
struggles at times to score and could use someone else
stepping up. Their once imposing blue-line has been
decimated by injuries. Both Andrei Markov and Josh
Gorges have been lost for the season. Rising star P.K.
Subban has made some strides in his development. Hal
Gill is strong in front of his own net. The Habs did trade
for Paul Mara and Brent Sopel at the deadline to add a
little depth in this area. Sopel has since broken his hand
and he is out indefinitely. The Canadiens barring a
collapse should make the playoffs. They still have a
chance at the Northeast Division title. With the Bruins
struggling down the stretch, the Habs could sneak by
them if they get hot. No one will want to face the
Canadiens in the 1st round of the playoffs.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils were given up for dead around the New Year.
They went 2-11 in December and looked like the worst
team in the NHL. They lost their first 4 games of 2011 and
then something clicked under returning head coach
Jacques Lemaire. From January 9th through the end of
February they went 17-2-2 and have miraculously entered
camp and missed all of the season. Mark Eaton, a 10-year
veteran, was lost to injury after 34 games. Several
youngsters have emerged though in Andrew MacDonald
and Travis Hamonic. In net, there is some uncertainty.
Rick DiPietro has had his share of injuries. Goalie Al
Montoya was acquired at the trade deadline and has
shown some promise. In his first 14 games with the club,
he went 7-3-3 with a 2.36 goals-against-average, a .920
save percentage, and one shut-out.
New York Rangers
Jacques Lemaire (Source: Mike del Tufo)
the playoff picture. It is unlikely but clearly the Devils
have been the hottest team in the NHL and could pull it
off. Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, Brian Rolston, and Travis
Zajac have been the team’s top scorers. Kovalchuk started
very slow. He had only 14 goals and was a -29 at the AllStar break. He could score 35 goals by season’s end and
was up to a -18 at the middle of March. Superstar winger
Zach Parise has been out for most of the season with a
knee injury. That was a major blow for the team to
overcome. The defense has been steady after an erratic
start. Andy Greene, Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder
anchor this unit. In net, Martin Brodeur has suffered
through some injuries and subpar play but seems to have
regained his top form.
Johan Hedberg has been
impressive as well subbing for Brodeur and taking the
bulk of the work when he was injured. The first half of
the season the Devils could not beat anyone. After early
January, they have been nearly invincible. They have an
outside chance of making the playoffs but it is a long-shot.
New York Islanders
John Tavares (Source: Mike del Tufo)
2010-11 will be another season the Islanders miss the
playoffs. This will be the 4th straight for them. In 2007,
they lost to the Sabres in 5 games in the 1st round. They
actually have not won a playoff series since 1993 when
they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. It has
been a long drought for this once-proud franchise that
captured four Stanley Cups in the 1980s. The team does
have some nice, young pieces to build the franchise
around especially on offense. John Tavares, Kyle Okposo,
and Michael Grabner are all under the age of 24. Tavares
and Grabner should score 30-35 goals this season. Matt
Moulson, just a couple of years older at 27, should as well.
Their 1st round pick from 2010, winger Nino Niederreiter,
also played a little with the club this season. Much is
expected of him. Their offense has a lot of promise. Their
defense was under siege much of the season in large part
due to their lack of veterans. Their top blue-liner, Mark
Streit, suffered a significant shoulder injury in training
21
Dan Girardi (Source: Andrew King)
The sting of failing to make the playoffs last season on the
very last day of the regular season is still very fresh to the
Rangers. They are again close to the bubble. They made
some nice additions in forward Wojtek Wolski and
defenseman Bryan McCabe before the trade deadline that
should help. The only regular they parted with was
defenseman Michal Rozsival. Last season, it seemed their
whole offense was Marian Gaborik. This season, they
have several productive forwards but no one with
superstar numbers. Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan,
Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, and Gaborik
should all score between 20 and 30 goals. Gaborik has
missed a number of games due to various ailments. A
return to form for him could propel this team. He scored
42 goals last year. The defense is led by steady defenders
in Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. In net is Henrik Lundqvist,
who is one of the top goaltenders in the league. He has
been a stellar regular season goalie but has not taken the
Rangers past the 2nd round of the playoffs. For them to
have a chance to go deep into the playoffs, Lundqvist will
have to really shine. The Rangers should make the
playoffs but they could make it very stressful on their fans
before doing so.
Ottawa Senators
Jason Spezza (Source: Mike del Tufo)
The Senators are battling the Edmonton Oilers for the
ICE Talk
worst overall record in the NHL this season. Just a mere
4 years ago, the Sens were in the Stanley Cup Finals. It
shows how parity has really reined supreme in today’s
NHL. Prior to the trade deadline, the Sens cleaned house
trading away forwards Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Jarkko
Ruutu, and Alexei Kovalev and goalie Brian Elliott. They
acquired goaltender Craig Anderson. The team still has
some weapons on offense in Daniel Alfredsson, Jason
Spezza, and Milan Michalek but each of them had subpar
seasons. None of them will reach 50 points. On defense,
big free agent acquisition Sergei Gonchar failed to have the
expected impact. 20-year old blue-liner Erik Karlsson,
however, was a pleasant surprise. It was a mess in the
crease as expected blue-chip goalie Elliott struggled and
was traded. The Sens had 6 different goalies play at least
3 games with the team this season. Anderson has so far
been strong for them but it remains to be seen what
happens before next season. The Senators are looking
towards next season. It is not unheard of for a team to
bounce back in a big way quickly in the NHL now with
free agency and a salary cap. The Sens have a decent
number of good players and could do it.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tyler Kennedy (Source: Joe del Tufo)
The Penguins have surprisingly hung in there without the
services of superstar forwards Evgeni Malkin and Sidney
Crosby and numerous other injuries. Malkin suffered a
season-ending knee injury in early February and Crosby
has been out since January suffering from the effects of a
concussion. There is a possibility Crosby will not return
this season. Prior to the trade deadline, the Pens acquired
forwards James Neal and Alexei Kovalev and defenseman
Matt Niskanen and dealt defenseman Alex Goligoski. The
offense without Malkin and Crosby is below average.
Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz are their main weapons.
Kunitz has been out due to injury as well. Kris Letang and
Brooks Orpik lead the defense. Orpik is currently out with
a broken finger but should be back before the season
ends. In net, Marc-Andre Fleury had a poor start to the
season but has settled down. The Pens have been playing
a different kind of hockey than they did earlier in the
season when Malkin and Crosby were healthy. It is a
more conservative style where they hope to win 3-2 or 21 as scoring has been problematic. They went a stretch of
9 games in late February and early March where 7 went to
overtime or a shoot-out. The Pens stockpiled a lot of
points early in the season and are a safe bet to make the
playoffs. But it is unlikely they can go very far unless
Crosby returns.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos (Source: Mike del Tufo)
The Lightning are probably the most surprising team in
the Eastern Conference. In 2009-10, they had 80 points.
This season, they passed 80 points with 20 games left.
They should battle the Washington Capitals for the
Southeast Division crown right until the last day of the
season. They added goalie Dwayne Roloson and
defenseman Eric Brewer prior to the trade deadline. Each
adds a little bit more veteran presence to the team.
Roloson seems to have stabilized their weakest area –
goaltending. They previously tried Mike Smith and Dan
Ellis in net but neither was very effective. They ended up
trading away Ellis. Steven Stamkos again leads their
offense. He scored 51 goals last season and is on pace to
duplicate that feat. Martin St. Louis is their top playmaker
and could reach 90 points for the season. Vinny
Lecavalier, Teddy Purcell, and Ryan Malone provide the
secondary scoring. The defense is a work-in-progress.
Bret Clarke, Pavel Kubina, and Victor Hedman lead this
unit. Hedman, who is only 20, should emerge to be the
anchor of this unit maybe as soon as next season. The
Lightning will make the playoffs and will be a tough
playoff match-up for any team due to their nice
complement of youngsters and veterans.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joffrey Lupul (Source: Mike del Tufo)
An early season stretch of 20 games where the Maple
Leafs went 4-12-4 looked to have initially doomed their
season. They have proved resilient though and could slip
into the playoffs with continued hot play and a little help.
The Leafs dealt forward Kris Versteeg and defensemen
Francois Beauchemin and Tomas Kaberle and acquired
forward Joffrey Lupul near the trade deadline. Lupul is a
capable scorer who should give a boost to a below-average
22
offense that has greatly improved since last season. Phil
Kessel, Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski, and Nikolai
Kulemin should reach the 25-goal plateau. Kessel should
get 35. The defense was weakened by the trades but they
still have a number of quality blue-liners in Dion Phaneuf,
Mike Komisarek, and Luke Schenn. In net, they have
struggled with neither Jean-Sebastien Giguere nor Jonas
Gustavsson playing well enough to seize the #1 job. An
injury Gustavsson led to James Reimer being promoted
from the AHL. He has been their most consistent
netminder this season. The Leafs finished dead last in the
Eastern Conference in 2009-10. GM Brian Burke was
active in looking for ways to improve the team during the
off-season and did a good job. The Leafs are a competitive
team again and has surprised.
Washington Capitals
Alexander Ovechkin (Source: Mike del Tufo)
Last season, the Capitals ran away with the regular season
Eastern Conference title but were dismissed in the 1st
round of the playoffs. This season, they have focused a
little more on team defense causing their potent offense to
suffer but it should make them a tougher playoff team.
They are battling the Tampa Bay Lightning for the
Southeast Division title and are in the mix to reach as high
as the top seed again. At the trade deadline, they acquired
a pair of veterans in defenseman Dennis Wideman and
forward Jason Arnott. The offense that had seven 20-goal
scorers last season should have 5 this season. Superstar
Alexander Ovechkin who has averaged 57 goals the last 3
seasons will not reach 40 this season. Both Ovechkin and
Nicklas Backstrom had over 100 points last season.
Neither will this season. The defense is still led by Mike
Green but unlike last season there is little talk of him being
a Norris Trophy contender this season. Youngsters John
Carlson and Karl Alzner have made an impact with this
unit in 2010-11 and should be a nice part of their nucleus
for years to come. In goal, Semyon Varlamov and Michal
Neuvirth have battled for the #1 job with Neuvirth getting
the edge. Each has been strong at times and ordinary at
other times. Braden Holtby was recalled several times
from their AHL affiliate Hershey and went an impressive
9-2-2 in his first 13 games. He may have the edge to be
the Caps’ starting goalie come playoff time. The team
adjustments the Caps have made seemed to have been
very beneficial. They are one of the top contenders for the
Stanley Cup.
ICE Talk
The Chicago Blackhawks Honored at White House
by Mike del Tufo
All photos Mike DelTufo
Obama presented with jersey
Obama with mini-Stanley Cup
The Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated the
Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games in last season’s
Stanley Cup Finals, were honored at the White
House on March 11, 2011. President Barack
Obama, who was an Illinois Senator just prior to
becoming President, was thrilled to celebrate a
championship team from his home state.
people lined Michigan Avenue to see the victory
parade go by. And when the Hawks visited
Wrigley Field during the Crosstown Classic, they
did something even tougher than winning the
Cup -- they got 40,000 Sox fans and Cubs fans
to stand up and cheer at the same team. That's
never happened before,” he said.
“We have a proud tradition in Chicago of
believing that no matter how long it takes, how
much we have to endure, it's only a matter of
time before our team finally wins it all. The
waiting builds character. We have a lot of
character,” Obama said.
The Blackhawks then presented President
Obama with his own Hawks jersey with the #44
on it and a mini-Stanley Cup. Obama is the
44th President of the United States.
“Now, I have to say, even by Chicago
standards, 49 years, that's a pretty long time. To
put that in perspective, the last time the
Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, a movie cost
69 cents. JFK had just moved into the White
House. I was still in diapers. And when the
legendary Glenn Hall played goalie for the
Hawks, he did it with a wooden stick and no
mask,” he continued.
Before last season, the Blackhawks had last
won the Stanley Cup in 1961.
"During the playoffs, even the Michael
Jordan statue had a Blackhawks uniform on.
After this team won the Stanley Cup, 2 million
Following the ceremony, First Lady Michelle
Obama, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and
USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean
presided over a street hockey workout and clinic
on a rink set up on the South Lawn of the White
House.
Prior to that beginning, Ogrean
presented Michelle Obama with a USA Hockey
jersey customized with the name FLOTUS and
the number 1 on the back. FLOTUS is short for
First Lady of the United States.
Michelle Obama presented with jersey
Former Flyer Patrick Sharp and Michelle Obama
The clinic for local youngsters, which was
conducted by members of the Blackhawks and
Washington Capitals, is part of a new
collaboration between Mrs. Obama’s Let’s
Move! initiative, the NHL, and USA Hockey to
encourage American children to lead active and
healthy lives.
Youngsters in action
23
ICE Talk
Center Ice Hockey Magazine Launches New Web-Site
In March of 2011, Center Ice Hockey Magazine launched a new website: www.centericephilly.com. It combines the latest social media
technology with the regular hockey-related articles Center Ice has been
supplying for the last 10 years.
Facebook page - Center Ice Hockey Magazine – Philadelphia. Like us!
On the bottom middle is a connection to Twitter with our most recent
tweets. Our Twitter name is centericephilly. Follow us!
On the bottom right is a connection to our YouTube account. Visitors
can access all of our hockey videos right there.
The upper part of the splash page is devoted to all of our recent hockey
articles. It flows down with the most recent articles on top. On the
right, visitors can access articles by month, see PDFs of previous issues,
and check out related links and our sponsors.
Center Ice Hockey Magazine now has a new presence on the web. It
is your source for everything hockey in Philadelphia. Next time you
are surfing the internet, check us out!
On the bottom left of the splash page is a connection to Facebook along
with our most recent Facebook postings. One click takes you to our
24
Check out Center Ice Hockey Magazine
at your local hockey rink!
Also online at
www.centericehockeymagazine.com
and...
www.centericephilly.com
Coverage of:
Philadelphia Flyers!
The Adirondack Phantoms!
Trenton Devils!
Reading Royals!
High School! College!
USA Hockey!
H
A
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TriviaPages ?
TriviaContest
The 1st person to correctly answer these 5 questions wins an autographed stick.
Send answers to [email protected] . One entry per e-mail address allowed. Previous winners this season
are ineligible to win again this season. Must collect within 30 days. Last issue’s winner: Christy Dougherty.
1.
Which current Flyer was drafted
by the Columbus Blue Jackets?
a. Nikolai Zherdev
b. Matt Carle
c. Dan Carcillo
d. Ian Laperriere,
e. Jody Shelley
2
Which player did NOT score a
goal for the Flyers during the
2009-10 regular season?
a. Oskars Bartulis
b. Riley Cote
c. Mika Pyorala
d. Lukas Krajicek
e. Ryan Parent
3. Which forward did NOT score 10 or
more goals for the Flyers during
the 2009-10 regular season?
a. Dan Carcillo
b. Blair Betts
c. Aaron Asham
d. James van Riemsdyk
e. Scott Hartnell
5. Which former Flyer did NOT play in
the 1997 Stanley Cup Final vs. the
Detroit Red Wings?
a. Eric Lindros
b. Rod Brind’Amour
c. Ron Hextall
d. Eric Desjardins
e. Simon Gagne
4. What team have the Flyers NEVER
faced in the Stanley Cup Finals?
a. Edmonton Oilers
b. Chicago Blackhawks
c. Buffalo Sabres
d. Calgary Flames
e. Detroit Red Wings
Answers to last issue’s trivia:
1. b. Daniel Briere
2. d. Robert Esche
3. b. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. d. 4
5. a. Ville Leino
WordSearch
Category: HOCKEY TERMINOLOGY
SLAPSHOT
FORECHECK
ONTHEFLY
HIGHSTICK
SLASH
DASHER
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FACEOFF
CROSSCHECK
CROSSBAR
WRISTER
ONETIMER
ZAMBONI
The
WordJumble
MatchGame
The 1st person to correctly answer the match game wins
a box of Upper Deck cards. Send answers to
[email protected]. One entry per e-mail address allowed.
Winner must be 14 or younger. Previous winners this season are
ineligible to win again this season. Must collect within 30 days.
Last issue’s winner: Christopher Britschge
Match NHL great with team:
Category: CURRENT FLYERS
1. REJDNA RZAEMOSS
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
AMTT CELRA
LAKIION HERZVDE
EMKI RCSRAIDH
OTSTC LNELHART
YODJ LLEEYSH
EANS DOONLELN
RHSCI NRROEGP
ELDAUC RIUOXG
IVLLE LIENO
Maurice Richard
a. New Jersey Devils
Bobby Clarke
b. Chicago Blackhawks
Wayne Gretzky
c. Philadelphia Flyers
2 ________________________________________
Bobby Orr
d. Montreal Canadiens
3 ________________________________________
Joe Sakic
e. Edmonton Oilers
4 ________________________________________
Steve Yzerman
f. Boston Bruins
Mario Lemieux
g. New York Islanders
1 ________________________________________
5 ________________________________________
6 ________________________________________
7 ________________________________________
Mike Bossy
h. Detroit Red Wings
Marty Brodeur
i. Colorado Avalanche
Bobby Hull
j. Pittsburgh Penguins
8 ________________________________________
9 ________________________________________
10 ________________________________________
Answers to last issue’s match game: 1-c, 2-h, 3-g, 4-j, 5-b, 6-a, 7-i,
8-e, 9-f, 10-d
Answers to last issue’s word jumble: LINDSAY CARSON, PETER ZEZEL, RICK TOCCHET,
RON SUTTER, BRIAN PROPP, BRAD MCCRIMMOM, PAUL HOLMGREN, BOB FROESE, RON
FLOCKHART, MURRAY CRAVEN
CENTER ICE MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION POINTS AT SCHUYLKILL VALLEY SPORTS STORES
(Complete listing of rinks on page 16)
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