A Flying Skate Down Memory Lane

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With a five game road trip on the agenda, our team doctors finally granted the green light to fly. So we celebrated our new found freedom by preparing to accompany the team, and also scheduling a stopover in Newport to meet in-person with Krutov and Larionov's agent. (Both of their contract proposals were complete, so as a sign of good-will, we decided to meet the agent at his office and deliver the paperwork with a personal touch).

The coming road trip was a good example of the schedule maker not doing us any favors. To start the journey, we had to fly 1160 miles east to Winnipeg, play a game, then fly back that same night, 740 miles west to play Edmonton the next day. From there, the next stop was 1901 miles east to Quebec City... So even with a nice break between games two and three, we were still bouncing back and forth like a ping-pong ball.

What it amounted to was a lot of extra hours spent cooped up in a plane, but the funny thing was, after not being able to fly for so long, it didn't bother us in the least.

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The travel plan called for us to detour to Newport after the Edmonton game, then reunite with the team back in Quebec. Meeting an agent in-person was always a sign of mutual respect, and an important gesture to move the process closer to signing. For us, the effort was entirely worthwhile as we believed it would help create a positive environment that was conducive to successful negotiations.

After greeting player agent Mark Malkovich with a firm handshake, we shared our desire to strike a mutually beneficial agreement that would help both sides. We emphasized our mutual interests and common goals that were highly achievable if we all worked together. After a fruitful discussion, we looked Mark in the eye and told him time was a factor, so we needed to get the deals done soon, and we believed he was the right man to do it. As we parted, we agreed to further talks, (over the phone) in a few days, to give Mark a chance to look things over.



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Week: 14

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Igor Larionov was famous for enjoying a glass of red wine before every game. It calmed his stomach, took the edge off and helped him focus on the task ahead. On this particular day, 'Iggy' arrived 30 minutes before practice and asked the equipment manager for a glass of wine. (The team truck had a portable fridge stocked with specialty drinks as requested by various players).

With the equipment manager headed for the truck, Igor snuck into the jersey bags and found Trevor Linden's practice sweater. With no one in sight, 'Iggy' added a couple letters to the back and then hung the jersey face-out in Trevor's stall. (So no one would see).

As the team hit the ice, Trevor couldn't figure out why everyone was snickering in his direction. Moments later, Pat Quinn piped up: "Okay Trev, we're gonna let you take Pavel's spot on the top line today." And then with a big smile, "We think you've got what it takes to play with them!" Then after a long pause Pat continued... "So it'll be Krutov, Larionov and Linden-ov!"

The whole team burst into laughter... As soon as Trevor realized what had happened, his face turned beet red.

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Early the next morning, player agent Mark Malkovich called to discuss our open offers, seek clarification on some fine print, and also haggle over the final dollar amount. One of our primary negotiating tactics, was to always make our opening offer about 10% less than what we were actually willing to pay. That way we had room to maneuver, to make concessions and let the other side leave the table happy with a 'win.'

In this case, we budgeted 660k for each contract. So our starting offer was 600k to which the agent responded by asking for 640. We counter-offered at 620, and after thinking about it for a minute or two, the agent said he'd meet us in the middle at 630. To which we replied: "Done deal."

Both sides were happy and we'd even saved ourselves 60k to help pay other players. Best of all, we had Larionov and Krutov back for another three years, which is a definite win-win!

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You could tell from the look on his face, this one meant a lot...

When you're in the heat of battle, it's often hard to know how things are going to go. Competitive games have a peculiar way of taking twists and turns that no one sees coming. They're often unpredictable and subject to crazy momentum swings. So on this night, no one knew Shawn Antoski's goal would hold up as the game winner. But hold up it did, and when he found out, he couldn't have been happier!

We always saved pucks in the event of big moments, like first NHL goal, or specific career milestones. But normally, a puck from a game-winning goal wouldn't be retrieved because no one knows in advance which one it'll turn out to be. But on this night, by some strange coincidence, our trainer put several pucks aside, and he seemed quite certain which one Shawn had deposited in the back of the net. So we taped it up neatly, wrote game winner on the side, and presented it to Shawn like a special trophy!

VIDEO: Antoski with the Game Winner!



Player in the Spotlight: Shawn Antoski | DGR 64 | G 1 | A 0 | HT 2 | TOT 8:00

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The final buzzer echoed around the arena like a pied-piper calling it's frenzied followers to a mass celebration. While the final score read: Detroit 6, Vancouver 4, we did punch the shot clock 54 times, so it's not as though we played poorly.

GM/HC: "The puck didn't bounce our way tonight boys, but great work out there!"

We hadn't beaten Detroit all year, but even more concerning was the recent slide in our penalty killing from top five to 13th in the league. While PK was a team stat, the fact remained we didn't have a natural center on our second unit. (Since the start of the year, we'd been forced to use Robert Kron as our 4th line center, even though he was primarily a winger). Kron was dependable, and always gave you all he had, but his faceoff ability was less than ideal. In the Detroit game, he went 2-for-11, or 18.2% in the faceoff circle. As a result, and with the trade deadline approaching, we were feeling pressure to upgrade down the middle.

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During multiple conversations over the past few months, we had come to the conclusion we were in the market for a 4th line center who was good on draws, could check and played with a physical edge. Planning in the War Room, we narrowed the field down to three potential candidates, all of whom we believed could fill the role depending on availability, timing and if the price was right.

With this in mind, we started making phone calls to kick the tires and gauge the level of interest in making a deal. As it turned out, many teams were already thinking about roster protection in anticipation of the upcoming expansion draft (for Tampa Bay). It was less than six months away, so now was the time to plan how to protect assets to minimize the loss. We decided to exploit this situation by proposing a two-for-one package with a safe future pick plus a player who could be readily exposed in order to protect a current roster player.

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As we rolled on through the month of January, four more players from around the league stepped up to set individual milestones. The first two reached the century mark for total games played, as both Bobby Smith and Dave Taylor joined the exclusive 1000 game club.

And in the realm of setting up goals, 40 year-old veteran Larry Robinson recorded his 750th career assist. While much to our chagrin, young 26 year-old Steve Yzerman notched his 500th apple, against none other than, you guessed it, the Vancouver Canucks. Note to the hockey gods: We know you mean well, but we've had quite enough of being on the receiving end of these 'achievements.' Thank you very much.



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Week: 15

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Igor Larionov had a very high hockey IQ. To be honest, he was one of the most intelligent players we ever coached. While we usually called him 'Iggy' (short for Egghead), he was also known as the Professor. Igor was a tremendous teacher and a great mentor for young players. It was almost like having another assistant coach on the ice. With credentials like this, it was hard not to put a lot of stock in what he had to say.

Anatoli Semenov was one of the three finalists we were targeting as a possible trade acquisition. Semenov had played on the powerhouse Soviet teams of the 80's, so 'Iggy' knew him well. When we asked the Professor for his thoughts, he told us Anatoli was a hard worker, very responsible defensively and a good teammate. As stated previously, Larionov's word carried a lot of weight.

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Glen Sather had a well earned reputation as a horse trader. He'd been the architect of the Oilers dynasty teams in the 80's, so he carried a lot of prestige wherever he went. When the new kid (GM) on the block called, we figured Glen would have a hard time resisting the urge to pull a fast one and add to his legend. At least that's what we were counting on as we laid a carefully crafted plan to try and bait him in.

GM/HC: "Well you know Glen, we're looking at a few options to see if we can find someone to come in and play a role for us. You've got this guy Semenov, been down in the minors all year, we think we'd like to take a look."

Sather: "Semenov eh? Well what would you be willing to part with in exchange?"

GM/HC: "Well, we're thinking a late-round pick and a player you can look at now, say Capuano."

Sather: "Late round pick huh? I'll tell you what, let me think about it, but you're gonna have to do better than that."

The hook was set. Sather feigned indifference while also jacking the price. He was definitely interested.

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After our first talk, we felt fairly certain Sather's ego was telling him he could fleece the new kid. That was our leverage. We intended to use his own confidence against him.

GM/HC: "It looks like Semenov isn't in your plans, so it'd probably help us both to talk turkey."

Sather: "Plans have a way of changing."

GM/HC: "That they do, tell you what, this kid Capuano is rated higher by central scouting than Semenov, plus we're offering a future asset. We think it's a very fair proposal."

Sather: "Make it a middle round pick and we can probably do something."

Not wanting to appear too eager we replied,

GM/HC: "All right, we've got a couple other GM's to talk with, but we'll get back to you soon."

The Edmonton Oilers had drafted Anatoli Semenov in the 6th round in 1989, 120th overall. He played 57 games for them last year and collected 31 points. Since then he played exclusively for the Cape Breton Oilers in the AHL. With the expansion draft coming up, Anatoli would most likely be left unprotected (and thereby lost for nothing), so it seemed like a very doable deal. The only catch was, Sather had to be made to feel like he won.

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The following day, Oiler GM Glen Sather called back bright and early...

Sather: "I've been reviewing our contract situation, and if we can't do a deal, I'll likely have to shop him."

We didn't believe that for a minute, but we played along.

GM/HC: "Okay, we can do a 5th rounder to make this happen."

Sather: "Getting warmer, but not quite enough."

GM/HC: "All right, final offer. We'll do a 4th, but that's as high as we can go!"

Sather: "You drive a hard bargain kid, welcome to the club!"

And just like that, Anatoli Semenov was a Vancouver Canuck!

Of course, when we initially offered a late round pick (a 6 or a 7), the real plan was a 4th rounder all along. But Sather didn't need to know that. (Note: Semenov wasn't drafted 'til the 6th round in '89 due to a lot of uncertainty as to whether he'd come to North America. So in reality, he was actually worth a lot more than a late round pick).

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Sitting alone in his black Mercedes, Pavel Bure's fingers tapped the wheel as he hummed along to the beat. Less than six months ago, Pavel was the newcomer being picked up at the airport. Now he wanted to return the favor by being the first to greet the newest Canuck.

From the moment he first set foot on the ice, Anatoli Semenov was surrounded by familiar faces. He seemed to feel right at home as his former teammates took turns guiding him through team drills and explaining our individual systems. In particular, Igor Larionov went out of his way to take Semenov under his wing, for the sole purpose of making the transition as smooth as possible. From a coaches point of view, it was great to see!

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We closed out the month with a tough game. Chicago was only four points back and there was a lot of bad blood from previous encounters. Not many teams out hit-us in our own building, but on this particular night the Hawks did just that plus a little more. They were chippy too, as the referees were busy with a steady parade to the penalty box for both teams.

Any way you look at it, it was a hard fought game. A real gut-check as we needed all 20 guys pulling together on the same rope. The thing about these kind of games, is when they're over, you feel really drained, but also really good 'cause the whole team came together! There's nothing quite like a stiff test to build unity, and this encounter was all that and more.

(Our newest addition, Anatoli Semenov, went 7 for 10 in the faceoff circle and posted a DGR of 69. So we were very happy with his debut)!

VIDEO: 13 Second OT Winner!!

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Week: 16

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Since its inception in 1967, Alan Eagleson was the first and only executive director of the NHL Player's Association (NHLPA). In December of 1991, Eagleson was forced to resign in the midst of numerous allegations including fraud and embezzlement. Many of the player reps felt Eagleson had gotten too cozy with the owners, so the union was now eager to chart a more distant course. Taking his place at the helm of the NHLPA, was Bob Goodenow, a former player agent. In many ways it was the beginning of a new era, as Goodenow came to power with a mandate to redress many of the perceived 'injustices' of the past.

Goodenow had only been on the job for a couple months when he was tasked with negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). As the previous CBA had expired prior to the start of the 91-92 season. Talks were underway, but they repeatedly broke off only to restart again with the two sides showing little progress.

Among the issues dividing the league and the union, were playoff bonuses, pensions, changes to free agency and an increased percentage of revenue from licensing player images. There was a boom taking place in the sports collectibles market, and up until now, the owners had always collected the lion's share of the revenue. That was all about to change as the players were now demanding a fair slice of the trading card pie.



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Month: 4

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As the calendar flipped to the first day of February, we received news that Vladimir Krutov had been named NHL player of the Month for January. It was a very prestigious award, and it was even more special coming hot on the heels of an Igor Larionov win for December. Despite not making a big deal over Iggy's win at the time, (as he was still unsigned and we were concerned about driving up the price), now that the contracts were done, it was time to celebrate!

Two bottles of fine champagne, one for each, (and even though we weren't contractually obligated to do so), we gave them both a ten thousand dollar bonus for bringing the honor home to the Canucks. As we toasted their success, we also thanked Vladdy for his seven game winning goals, which was far and away the best on the team!

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The Hartford Whalers had played the night before in Edmonton, (to a rare scoreless draw), and as a result, they arrived in Vancouver a road weary team. At least that's how it appeared, as we proceeded to skate circles around them and seemingly score-at-will. With little-to-no jump in their legs, it was 3-nothing after one, 7-zip after two, and 8-nothing by the time 60 minutes had expired. The Whale must have been glad to put this one behind them and get out of town.

GM/HC: "Great goal! Enjoy that one boys!!"

GM/HC: "What a shot! That's a beauty!!"

GM/HC: "Awesome play! Way to go!!"

As it turned out, it was a night of high praise all round!

VIDEO: Momesso Scores the Game Winner!!



Player in the Spotlight: Brian Bradley | OGR 81 | G 1 | A 2 | +/- 3 | TOT 13:45 | 2nd Star

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As part of our month-end review, we assembled the entire coaching staff for a brainstorming session on strategy. The floor was open to whoever had a thought they wanted to express. There was no good or bad suggestions, no judgment, no right or wrong, just an open exchange of ideas. Among the changes agreed to, was to deploy Anatoli Semenov in much the same role as our third line center Trevor Linden. Trev had been extremely effective in back-checking, hitting and passing the puck, and we saw Anatoli in much the same mold.

The coaching staff also reached consensus on tactical changes to the Courtnall line. Our second unit wasn't producing points the way we anticipated, so we decided to deploy them in more of a two-way role rather than trying to make them a number 1B scoring line. The idea was to use Brian Bradley as the playmaker, Geoff Courtnall as the trigger man, and his brother Russ as a counterattacking forward. That way, Rusty could come back deep and help out defensively, while also using his speed to support quick breakouts.

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At eighteen minutes and eleven seconds of the second period, an official rite of passage took place. Everyone on the bench knew exactly what it meant, and as they jumped to their feet in celebration, a chant of "Golden Hat! Golden Hat!" grew steadily louder. There was no denying it. Anatoli Semenov had just scored his first goal as a Vancouver Canuck and the team was calling for the awarding of the Golden Hat!

As we arrived back in the dressing room, (Captain) Cam Neely announced that Anatoli was now officially one of us, and to commemorate the occasion, it was his honor to award the Golden Hat! It was a beautiful cap, crowned with a shimmering VC logo (for Vancouver Canucks) made of pure, hand-crafted gold. Once it was in his hands, Anatoli couldn't stop smiling, and he took a long moment to gaze at it before finally placing it on his head. The instant cap touched hair, the room erupted in celebration!

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It looked like our recent tactical changes were paying early dividends. In addition to Anatoli's first goal, the Courtnall brothers each had a two-point game against the Montreal Canadiens. Geoff led the way with a pair of assists en route to being named the game's first star, while younger brother Russ chalked up a pair of goals to earn 3rd star honors. The two awards made it even more exciting as our second line racked up four points and went +5 for the evening.

As a coach, you always do your best to get to know your players, and learn what motivates them and what they may or may not respond to. It's really more of an art-form than a science, as there's no sure-fire method to spark the right guy at the right time. So it can become a case of tinkering and adjusting to see what sticks.

On this night, even though it was still a small sample-size, we were very happy with our latest round of adjustments, and even if they were only partially responsible, we were hoping they'd help spark more of the same.



Player in the Spotlight: Geoff Courtnall | GR 72 | G 0 | A 2 | HT 2 | TOT 13:07 | 1st Star