A Flying Skate Down Memory Lane

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Some of the most important rules in hockey are unwritten. Like the one that says: If you're a fighter, you don't touch the stars on the other team. And if you do, you have to be prepared to answer for it. A little over five minutes into the game, and Rudy Poeschek broke the code. He jumped our best defenseman, Jeff Brown, and our entire bench was fuming. To add insult to injury, as the game wore on, several of our guys offered to dance, but Poeschek just turned his back and skated away.

Finally, midway through the second, Paul MacDermid took another shot at 'Brownie' after the whistle. This time, Shawn Antoski lost it. He crashed into MacDermid and ripped his helmet off before wailing away with right hands. MacDermid tried to hang on and cover up as best he could, but Shawn caught him with a stiff uppercut that buckled his knees and sent him crashing to the ice. Message delivered. You touch our stars and there's a price to pay...

The game winning goal came on a nifty passing play. It started with Jyrki Lumme controlling the puck in our zone where he dipsy-doodled long enough to hit Pavel Bure, (just off the bench), with a perfect cross-ice pass. Pavel used his speed to streak down the right side, cut in on net and at the last second, slide a beautiful pass to Igor Larionov. With the wide-open cage in front of him, Iggy made no mistake!

VIDEO: Race to the Net!



Player in the Spotlight: Garth Butcher | DGR 66 | G 0 | A 2 | +/- 3 | BS 1 | TOT 18:05 | 3rd Star

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With Christmas break just around the corner, it was time to do something special for the players. Something that let them know just how much we appreciated all their hard work and commitment. With this in mind, about a month or so earlier, we assembled the entire office staff and asked for suggestions as to what to do.

What we got was a number of interesting ideas, some of which were great, while others weren't quite right for one reason or another. Eventually we whittled the suggestions down to a shortlist of three finalists from which to choose. After careful consideration, the staff voted in favor of free VIP tickets and backstage passes to a U2 concert for the entire team.

For those who might not know, U2 was pretty much the biggest band in the world, so we thought it made a perfect fit for the top team in the National Hockey League.





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Week: 11

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The month of December witnessed a number of career achievements around the league. The first involved Pat LaFontaine, (who was traded to Buffalo earlier this season), as he notched his 300th career goal at the young age of 26. Then came veteran rearguard Randy Carlyle, (the Captain of the Jets), who played in his 1000th NHL game.

Not to be outdone, Bernie Nicholls (another player recently on the move), reached the 900 point plateau. And then last but certainly not least, Michel Goulet (of the Chicago Blackhawks) recorded his 500th career goal. Congratulations to all the players listed above for their noteworthy achievements!

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The Board of Governors had already agreed to a ten day roster freeze over Christmas, so even though it wouldn't be officially in the CBA 'til next year, the league was already intent to abide by it. This being the case, and with the team off for the next four days, we thought now would be a perfect opportunity to just get away from the office and relax. What with no possibility of player movement or calls from other GM's, we told everyone to go spend time with their families, or for those who preferred solitude, we rented some cozy cabins in Whistler.

A few did choose Whistler, and when we arrived the village looked like a Winter Wonderland where the only thing missing was Santa's Workshop. Spiked hot chocolate, a warm fire and a good book was just what the doctor ordered as we slowly drifted away in the turning pages. On the final day of our stay, someone suggested we toboggan down Blackcomb Mountain, which sounded like an exciting way to end the trip.

As we hurtled down one of the main runs, some sort of wooden debris got caught under our sleigh and began to throw us off-course. While trying to correct, one of the steering ropes broke, which caused us to lose control and veer through a snowbank off the run. Suddenly time slowed to a crawl. Moments seemed like minutes, which seemed like hours. Everything was suspended, except an ominous sense of impending doom... A few numb flashes later, we collided with a tree and everything went black...

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All good things must come to an end...

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Here's a list of six, but there are so many more, without whom this story would not be possible. To everyone involved, thanks for all the inspiration!

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And the beat goes on...

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"I'm sorry, but we have to let you go..."

"Did you hear me? We have to let you go!"

Yes there were subtle signs of tension with ownership, but no indication it had gotten this bad. Was this really the end? No chance to finish the job?...

EMT: "Mr. Neale, can you hear me? You have to let go!"

Harry's grip felt as tight as a vice, and it wasn't until he released it that the stretcher began to move. Harry looked to be in shock, as he watched his boss being airlifted to a local hospital. But the truth is, it wasn't his fault, it was just a freak accident with no one to blame.

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Over the next 24 hours, a number of visitors arrived at the hospital including team Owner Arthur Griffiths. Arthur expressed sympathy for the accident, and we had a good talk about how important our relationship is to the success of the team.

Arthur Griffiths: "I remember when I first interviewed you for the job, how you told me if I hired you, there'd only be two hands on-the-wheel, and they'd both be yours. I was surprised and impressed with how bold you were. But I decided right then and there to take a hands-off approach and let you do your job. Looking back, I think it was the right decision."

GM/HC: "Thank you for your confidence and support. It makes a huge difference for our organization."

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The game just didn't look right. Even with the big screen TV, there was still so much you couldn't see. Especially if you were used to watching from behind the bench at ice level. Not only was the perspective and angles all wrong, but you couldn't see anything that was happening behind the play. Laying prone in a hospital bed, one thing remained perfectly clear, this was as terrible way to watch a game.

Despite the less than ideal circumstances, the team was in good hands with Pat Quinn running the bench, and they rallied with what might be a-once-in-a-lifetime record. At the 18:39 mark of the 1st, we scored a short-handed goal, followed by two others in quick succession, (at 19:01 and 19:31 respectively). Yes, you read that right, three shorthanded goals all during the same penalty! It was a total collapse by the Flyers, (the likes of which may never be seen again), and it effectively ended the game.

If the guys won this one for their Head Coach, they couldn't have made him prouder!

VIDEO: Short Handed Times Three!



Player in the Spotlight: Garry Valk | OGR 75 | G 1 | A 1 | +/- 2 | HT 1 | TOT 10:19 | 3rd Star

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Our team doctor finally agreed to a hospital release, but he wouldn't give clearance to fly. That meant having to watch the team leave on a four game road trip starting with a couple dates in California. Yes, the office chairs were a lot more comfortable than those contraptions they call beds in the hospital, but it just wasn't the same. The action was too distant, far too removed.

Stop one was in the Cow Palace. It was our second game in as many days and we'd traveled in-between. Not to make excuses, but our normal energy level just wasn't there. Hard as they tried, our guys looked like they were skating in mud most of the night. Then to make matters worse, the Sharks played a very physical game with both teams dishing out 17 hits a-piece. So all things considered, a 1-1 tie wasn't the worst outcome in the world.

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Since we were unable to travel with the team, (and therefore stuck in the office), we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to focus on contract extensions. As of today, our number one priority was getting Krutov and Larionov inked to new deals. Both were set to become UFA's at the end of the season, so it was critical to get something done before the trade deadline, as we absolutely couldn't let them walk for nothing. Far and away our first choice was to re-sign, but if we couldn't do that, we'd have to move them before the deadline to get something in return. (Losing them for nothing had to be avoided at all costs).

Ever since we bought out the royalty clause from their old contracts, we made sure to engage in preliminary discussions with the player agents to determine their interest in coming back. Early indications looked good, and we were happy both players expressed a desire to return. So now it was time to roll up our sleeves and draft new contract proposals, which we planned to present to the agents early in the new year.

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Shortly after being released from hospital, we called Pat Quinn and asked him to take over the bench on an interim basis. While we'd always be available for phone consultation, we had no intention of interfering or trying to micro-manage from a distance. For the time being, it was Pat's baby and we were committed to letting him do his job.

As the team prepared for a New Years Eve bash in Los Angeles, we were back in Vancouver attending a shindig at the Westin Bayshore. Our host had rented the 'Howard Hughes' penthouse suite, (so named after the reclusive billionaire who moved in and made it his personal residence back in 1972). As it turned out, it was the second-to-last place Hughes ever lived, and while there's a great deal of folklore and urban legend surrounding the six months he dwelled here, we can honestly say, on this occasion, there were no ghosts.



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Week: 12

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1992 was barely a day old when a colossal trade came across the wire. As a General Manager in the NHL, one is frequently asked if you can tell what other GM's may be thinking. While the answer is generally no, on this day, the GM's in question did seem rather transparent. This wasn't a day where two trading partners looked to make minor modifications. This was a far more drastic, more sweeping deal, along the lines of a major shakeup. The executives running the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs got together and agreed to surgically remove a whopping 25% of their active rosters.

By the time the scalpels had done the deed, 10 players were looking for a new place to hang their skates. At the head of this pack was former Flame Captain Doug Gilmour, who weighed in at a hefty 5/5 consensus rating. So Toronto got the best player, (and likely won the deal in the short-term), whereas Calgary got the younger players while unloading aging veterans. From this distance, it looked like Toronto was trying to win now, while Calgary was building for the future.



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Month: 3

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For the first time all season, we suffered three defeats in-a-row and went winless in our last four. The road trip ended 0-3-1, yielding only a single point in the standings. As the team was still halfway across the continent, it was difficult to say exactly what happened, but we certainly didn't blame Pat Quinn, who we'd placed in the extremely difficult situation of having to take over on short notice with almost no time to prepare. From the information we did have, it sounded like the team had suffered a loss of cohesion due to the absence of the Head Coach.

To be honest, we didn't expect the absence effect to be this pronounced, and as the team boarded the plane to come home, we were feeling both frustration and excitement at the same time. Frustration with the prolonged losing streak, yet excited to be reunited with our players. It seemed like ages since we'd seen them, (even though it really wasn't), and we felt a strong urgency to regroup, and do everything possible to get our team back on the winning track.

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Cam Neely stood in the middle of the dressing room, glancing around until his gaze finally settled on the coaches. As he cleared his throat to speak, everyone stopped to listen.

Captain Canuck: "Coach, we love you man, and we're all happy to have you back. So everybody chipped in to get you a little something... It's an official crash test dummy helmet... So you don't go banging your coconut on any more trees!"

The whole room erupted with laughter amid a backdrop of good-natured ribbing. After a few moments and many broad smiles, the coach replied...

GM/HC: "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but all future plans to speed head-first down a mountain are hereby canceled. At least for this lifetime. But we really missed you guys, and nothing makes us happier than watching you succeed, so it's great to be back! Now, what we really need to talk about is..."

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GM/HC: "...Playing it forward... Whatever happened on the road trip doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the next play in the next game. We don't bring negative baggage from the past into the present. We approach the next play with a clear mind so we can focus all our attention to make it the best it can be. We play it forward."

A quick turn to address the other side of the room.

GM/HC: "We need to regroup and get back to basics. Back to what gives us our identity as a team. So it's like we've been saying from the beginning, it's all about not quitting on the guy next to you. It's about how deep you're willing to dig for your teammates, that's what makes us a great team."

A long pause as the Coach makes eye contact with each player, one-by-one.

GM/HC: "That's the commitment we have to live up to, and the mindset we have to have, every day! Whadda we say?... You can never guarantee results, but you can always guarantee..."

And the whole team yelled: "Effort!!!"

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Our first game back behind the bench, was a 9-3 gutting of the Sharks for one of our biggest wins of the season...

Shortly after the accident, (NHL President) John Ziegler called for a health update and also to schedule a league meeting. With the next four days off, Executive VP Brian O'Neill was coming to town to discuss disciplinary amendments to league rules. Once the meeting got underway, it became clear the real purpose of the tour was to brief GM's on the league's position, vis-a-vis the upcoming CBA talks.

The CBA, (Collective Bargaining Agreement), was between the Owners and the Player's Union, but the league office had decided to recruit GM's in case the Owners consulted them during the process. (By getting us onside, Head Office hoped to gain additional influence over the Owners to see things their way). Be that as it may, word had it the relationship between the Union and the League was rocky at best. So bad in fact, that rumblings of labor unrest were growing louder and louder.



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Week: 13

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Mario Lemieux needed a minute. He sat in the corner of the room with his head down gazing at the floor. What followed was a series of short-shallow breaths, a racing heart and tremors from head-to-toe. Mario felt light-headed, exhausted and euphoric all at the same time.

Teammate: "We did it man! We did it, woohoo!!"

It was like being surrounded by a warm blanket of joy! Happiness so intense, nothing else mattered! And once you get that first taste from the Cup, you always thirst for more!! The memories flooded in with such emotional intensity, it was as if they just happened. And all in response to a reporter's question of what it felt like to win the Cup.

Mario: "Yeah, it was amazing, a dream come true!"

Reporter: "And what about the game tonight against Vancouver?"

Mario: "It'll be a good test, they're a good team, but I think we're ready."

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From the moment you walked in the room, something felt different. To the untrained eye, the rituals all looked the same, guys taping their sticks with their own unique style, shoulder pads being tapped in a set pattern, and players exchanging secret 'good luck' handshakes. But underneath it all, there was a sense of electricity, of heightened energy, a big game feel.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the defending Stanley Cup champions, and it's not everyday you get to test yourself against the best. Our guys were pumped for this one, and to-a-man, they all wanted to make a statement...

In the dying seconds of period two, Cam Neely straddled the blueline while his mates got back onside. Once they were clear, Neely skated into the zone and hit Vladimir Krutov with a nice pass. Krutov held for a moment, then passed it back to Neely as he penetrated further toward the goal. Before the defense could react, Cam dropped the puck back to Jeff Brown at the point, who quickly went cross-ice to Pavel Bure. From the left point, Bure took a look and released a hard shot that Igor Larionov tipped in through the five hole!

VIDEO: Powerplay Perfection!