NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Friday January 22, 1999 8:30PM EST
Friday January 22, 1999 Cujo will miss all-star game
Curtis Joseph will not have to sacrifice his body at the NHL all-star weekend.
The Maple Leafs goaltender suffered a mild groin strain in the first period last night while stretching for one of those wicked Al MacInnis slapshots.
MacInnis' shot hit the post. Moments later Joseph skated to the bench to tell Leafs coach Pat Quinn he had hurt himself, but he wanted to see if the injury would work itself out.
Joseph then pulled himself from the game with 6:27 remaining in the first period.
The injury cancelled his trip to Tampa for what would have been his second all-star game.
Joseph is listed as day to day and has been told to not engage in any physical activity during the weekend.
Joseph said there is a slim chance he will be ready for the Leafs' next game in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
"I won't be going to Tampa," said Joseph, who was limping after the game. "It's disappointing, but now I get to spend time with my family.
"I'm a believer in things happening for a reason and I'm looking forward to the next four days with my family."
The Leafs' next practice is not until Tuesday.
The annual all-star game, which has turned into a run-and-gun offensive showcase, has not been kind to goaltenders.
In his first appearance in 1994, Joseph gave up four goals in 19 minutes for a 12.63 goals against average.
Monday January 18, 1999 Domi leaves Leafs to get treatment
Tie Domi has returned home to get treatment on his sprained right knee while his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates continue a road trip that takes them to Dallas for a Wednesday night game against the Stars.
"He thought he could deal with it but it swelled back up and didn't get any better," said coach Pat Quinn.
Domi hasn't played since Jan. 4.
Monday January 11, 1999 Healy out six weeks
Francis Larivee will be the backup goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight after Glenn Healy was sidelined for four to six weeks with a sprained knee.
Healy, who usually watches while No. 1 goaltender Curtis Joseph handles the bulk of the workload, was hurt during the Leafs' skills competitions Sunday at Maple Leaf Gardens when he stepped backwards on a puck and fell.
Larivee was recalled from the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League, where he'd lost his only start and had a 5.00 goals-against average. He'd been loaned to Chicago by the St. John's Maple Leafs on Jan. 2. Larivee was 4-7-2 with the AHL farm club with a 4.16 GAA.
Monday January 11, 1999 Smith could be next to go
Jason Smith earned his good reputation in Toronto by keeping his name out of the papers.
But the big stay-at-home defenceman is uncomfortably in the news, in the middle of a new Maple Leafs trade conundrum. Dependable as any Leaf in his 11/2 years in Toronto, he has been a bit slow to grasp elements of new coach Pat Quinn's more explosive game plan.
Smith's name popped up in trade talks with the Islanders before the Leafs dealt goalie Felix Potvin there on Saturday for defenceman Bryan Berard. But now the thinking is Smith might be moved to the Islanders in a separate deal, or to a needy team such as Calgary or Edmonton.
There is no doubt the Leafs are short on impact forwards and long on defencemen.
Smith, 6-foot-3 and just 25, would appear to be their most expendable resource. With Daniil Markov and Alexander Karpovtsev coming back from injuries this week, it creates a nine-man defence corps. It's likely Dallas Eakins will be reassigned to Chicago of the IHL this week.
"I don't know where all this talk about me is coming from," Smith said yesterday, his customary grin replaced by a look of apprehension. "It's all speculation on the media's part. I've not been as strong this year and I've had a couple of ups and downs, but that happens during parts of everyone's career.
"I don't think it's true that I'm not fitting in here with Pat. I have more confidence than I have ever had handling the puck."
Smith was a plus-7 during the Leafs' first eight games under Quinn. But a November stretch of getting burned regularly led to a self-admitted lack of confidence, especially standing up at the blue line. Now he has the team's worst plus-minus ranking at -9.
Associate general manager Mike Smith says he wants time to evaluate the entire defence when it is healthy before making a trade.
Islanders general manager Mike Milbury was taking flak yesterday for giving up Berard; for not getting a scorer in return; and for turning his back on goalie Tommy Salo by bringing in Potvin. Edmonton is emerging as the front-runner to acquire Salo, followed by Calgary and Nashville. The Oilers are thought to be offering Tom Poti or Janne Niinimaa.
Sunday January 10, 1999 Leafs likely to deal a defenceman
When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed free-agent goalie Curtis Joseph last July, it created a surplus in goal.
And an expensive one at that.
With the trade of former starter Felix Potvin to the New York Islanders on Saturday in exchange for young defenceman Bryan Berard, a surplus now exists on the blue-line.
There are nine defenceman on the Leafs' roster, leading many to believe associate general manager Mike Smith will deal away one of his blue-liners. He even hinted as much on Saturday night.
Injuries to Alexander Karpovtsev (sprained wrist) and Daniil Markov (separated shoulder) mean the Leafs won't have to demote or trade anybody for the time being. Berard himself is recovering from a groin injury and likely will miss Toronto's game at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, the first of a crucial seven-game road trip.
It appears, though, that steady defenceman Jason Smith will be the odd man out when everybody recovers. Smith, arguably Toronto's best defenceman last season, has appeared out of place under new coach Pat Quinn's run-and-gun offence. That's hardly surprising considering Smith learned his trade under Jacques Lemaire in defensive-oriented New Jersey before landing here two years ago in the Doug Gilmour trade.
If Smith is on the block, however, Mike Smith isn't telling.
"It's inappropriate of me to discuss trading Jason," Smith said. "We're not going to address (the surplus of blue-liners) until we get Bryan in here, get everyone healthy and see how it shakes out."
Markov, as well as rookies Tomas Kaberle and Yannick Tremblay, surprised many with their play this season, especially with their ability to join the rush.
Smith, whom the Leafs likely hope to trade for a forward, will also land more in return than some of the younger defencemen.
As much as Smith isn't a good fit for Quinn's system, the offensive-minded Berard is a perfect match.
"He's got an immense amount of talent especially in his stick-handling and skating," Quinn said. "He's a young man and I'm sure he's got a lot to learn about playing defence, but you just don't find those skills everyday."
Berard, 21, wanted out of the Island where coach and GM Mike Milbury tried to stop him from rushing the puck this season.
"They tried to run a defensive system where I didn't fit in," Berard, who arrived in Toronto late on Saturday night, said of the Isles. "Toronto runs more of an offensive system and I'm looking forward to it."
Milbury didn't argue.
"This is a good young player and there were certain things that we saw and certain flaws that we tried to address and correct," Milbury said of Berard. "Some we had success with and others we didn't. Perhaps Toronto will have more success with Bryan.
"He did come a long way defensively maybe at the expense of his offence. Maybe they'll find the right blend in Toronto."
Berard, who had 48 points when he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 1996-97, will anchor the Leafs' anemic power-play -- which is ranked 25th in the NHL.
"One thing we felt we needed is an offensive defenceman," Mike Smith said. "(Berard) started off in the league as a 45-point player. His potential is to be a 60-point plus player."
In a twist of irony, Berard was made expendable on Long Island by another young offensive defenceman, Kenny Jonsson -- Toronto's first-round draft pick in 1993.
Berard, who expects to play Wednesday in Florida against the Panthers, is earning $850,000 US this season and becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
Saturday January 9, 1999 Leafs finally trade Potvin
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded goaltender Felix Potvin to the New York Islanders on Saturday in exchange for defenceman Bryan Berard.
Also, the NHL clubs swapped sixth-round picks in the upcoming 1999 Entry Draft.
Potvin left the Leafs on Dec. 2 and headed home for Montreal while awaiting a trade.
Potvin was Toronto's No. 1 goaltender for five seasons, twice helping the Leafs to the Western Conference final, but was bumped to a backup role when Curtis Joseph was signed to a four-year, $24-million US contract in July.
Potvin started only five of the Leafs' first 25 games this season, posting a 3-2 record with a goals-against average of 3.81 and a .866 save percentage.
Berard, who won the Calder Trophy at the league's top rookie in 1996-97, has four goals, 11 assists and a minus-6 rating in 31 games.
Mike Smith, the Leafs associate general manager, was looking for a player to be effective now and down the road. In Berard he gets that and his skill on the blue-line should help Toronto's power play.
"Bryan is the type of guy who is very capable defensively but his real strength and where he helps his team win games is when he makes things happen offensively," Berard's agent Tom Laidlaw told Headline Sports.
"He makes the forwards better because he's coming in on the rush."
The 22-year-old was picked first overall in the 1995 draft by Ottawa but never signed with the Senators. In January 1996, the Islanders acquired him in a three-way deal that saw Damien Rhodes go to the Senators and Kirk Muller join the Maple Leafs.
Laidlaw said that Berard, who played his junior with Detroit of the OHL, is looking forward to joining Toronto.
"There is no problem about him being an American boy going Canada or anything like that," said Laidlaw. "He is really excited that he gets to play in a city like Toronto where hockey means so much."
In Potvin, the Islanders hope they have finally solved their goaltending woes. Tommy Salo has been inconsistent and the Islanders hope Potvin will provide stability.
"We're looking forward to have Felix jumpstart our team to a winning record like we had in the beginning of the season," Islanders assistant coach Wayne Fleming told Headline Sports.
Islanders defenceman Scott Lachance said the deal is a good one for both Toronto and New York.
"Tommy's been good for us and we're adding another really good goaltender it should help both teams," he said. "It will definitely help Toronto."
"I don't know what's gone on behind closed doors or whether this will lead to something else. There's probably some method to the madness."
Saturday January 9, 1999 Berard deal on front burner
New York Islanders defenceman Bryan Berard yesterday was bracing himself for a possible trade to Toronto.
The Leafs appeared close to a deal which would see goaltender Felix Potvin and defenceman Jason Smith join the Islanders in return for 1997 Calder Trophy winner Berard and veteran centre Bryan Smolinski.
However, Isles general manager Mike Milbury also was trying last night to peddle leading scorer Robert Reichel to another team, and may have put the Leafs on hold.
If a Potvin trade does materialize, the Isles could flip current starter Tommy Salo to the Calgary Flames, who have given up on the perpetually injured Ken Wregget.
"It appears there is quite a bit of smoke to this one, which leads me to believe there's fire," Berard's agent, Tom Laidlaw, said yesterday.
"Bryan's enjoyed his time in Long Island, the people there have been good to him, but he wouldn't be averse to (joining Toronto)."
Another NHL GM, who had been interested in acquiring Potvin, said he backed off because he thought the Berard deal was close.
Berard, 21, resumed skating this week after pulling a groin muscle in mid-December. His club expects him back Monday against Washington.
Berard leads New York defencemen with 15 points and would give Toronto's woeful power play a major boost. He was the first pick in the 1996 draft, but balked at signing with the Ottawa Senators. He was traded to the Islanders a year later in a three-way deal that also involved former Leafs goalie Damian Rhodes.
Smolinski, 27, ranks fourth in Isles scoring with 19 points. Five of his eight goals came on the power play.
Berard and Smolinski both will become restricted free agents this summer.
Smith, once considered the shining star on the Leafs blue line, has been slow to adapt to Toronto's quicker transition game. The 6-foot-3 Smith joined Toronto two years ago as part of the Doug Gilmour deal with New Jersey.
The Islanders are 0-5-1 in their past six games and 3-13-3 in their past 19.
Friday January 8, 1999 No silencing The Voice
The voice of the Gardens will be heard at the Air Canada Centre after all.
Public address announcer Paul Morris, who has not missed a Maple Leafs home game since 1961-62, will be welcomed at the new arena after months of doubt regarding his status. Morris' baritone has become famous around the NHL and has been featured in commercials as the Leafs prepare to leave the 67-year-old Gardens in five weeks.
"He's the voice ... he has to be there," Air Canada Centre project director Tom Anselmi said this week.
The 60-year-old Morris is also a full-time sound man at the old arena.
That had led to problems, because the new management team at the Air Canada Centre wanted all members of Morris' union to be part-timers.
Morris pondered retirement, but club president Ken Dryden said that no one was trying to force Morris out .
"He is part of the sound of the Maple Leafs," Dryden said. "It's like moving into a new house. You bring your favourite things to put on the walls. There was a question of how many events he might do and whether he could work sound as well as announce the games. But it was always, 'Paul, what would you like to do?' "
Morris could not be reached for comment last night.
Friday January 8, 1999 Fleury, Potvin rumours flyin'
Rumours were flying last night that the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs were on the verge of a major trade.
Reports indicated Flames sniper Theoren Fleury and Toronto's AWOL goaltender Felix Potvin are the key cogs in the transaction, with other players also involved.
Potvin walked out on the Leafs in December after earlier requests to trade him went unheeded. He has been practising with a junior club in Quebec.
Potvin became the odd-man out in Toronto when the Leafs signed Curtis Joseph to a rich, long-term contract last summer.
Fleury is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. It's likely his asking price will be well above what the Flames' tight budget can afford.
Reached last night at his home, Fleury said he was not aware of any deal but had heard the clubs had talked.
Despite the persistent trade rumours, Fleury is enjoying one of his best seasons, with 19 goals and 21 assists.
Tuesday January 5, 1999 Leafs give thumbs up to new home
Pat Quinn's autograph now decorates construction worker Justin Newport's white hard hat.
"I've been a Leafs fan since I was a kid," a smiling Newport said after obtaining the signature of the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs following the NHL team's first workout in the new Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. "I want to see them bring the Stanley Cup into this building."
The Leafs play their first NHL game in the $265-million arena, located adjacent to Union Station four subway stops south of Maple Leaf Gardens, on Feb. 20 against the Montreal Canadiens.
It was thumbs up from the players after their first test of the spacious new facility.
"It's very, very nice," said captain Mats Sundin. "The dressing room is almost too nice.
"It's almost like a living room."
The quality of the ice got unanimous approval.
"I didn't expect it to be this good already," said Sundin. "It's really fast."
The 18,700 seats were coated in construction dust, smells of welding sparks, paint and plastics filled the air, and the sounds of workers' power tools competed with the bang of pucks off hockey sticks, boards and goal posts.
"It's definitely bigger," said left-winger Derek King. "The ice, the boards, the glass -- everything about it was really nice.
"I don't like to take away from the old barn, that's a great rink over there with a lot of history, but this is a beautiful rink. We'll have to start a new history here."
As noon approached, electricians, engineers and labourers such as Newport, who was helping install the sprinkler system, took their lunch break and nibbled on sandwiches as they watched the workout.
The players had bused over in uniform from the Gardens, most putting on their skates when they arrived. Backup goaltender Glenn Healy was the first to glide onto the ACC ice.
"It's my parents' fault," Healy explained in good humour. "I'm to dress fully before getting on the bus.
"All I had to do was take off the skate guards."
The ACC will rank among the best NHL arenas, Healy said.
"I'm biased, but it's better than a lot of the others," he said. "Some of the other new arenas are just big shells.
"The sightlines in here are great, and it's nice and bright."
It's a Taj Mahal of arenas, said Quinn.
The defencemen like the seamless glass, which allows them to whip pucks out of their own zone.
The one worrying thing about the move is a loss, in a way, of home-ice advantage for the rest of the season. After all, the Leafs are used to MLG and will be virtual visitors at ACC themselves until time makes them accustomed to their new surroundings.
"It'll take some real adjustment for us," Quinn said.
But, for now, "I've got no complaints," he said. "I'm sure when we get in we'll have things to fix up and do, but right now all of us are awfully impressed with it."
Quinn wants a sense of team tradition evident at the ACC from the start. So, scrolls displaying the names of former Leafs, similar to the scrolls that were removed from MLG by former owner Harold Ballard before his death in 1990, will be hung in the dressing room.
"I don't know what happened here under Harold's regime where they pushed the alumni guys away," said Quinn. "That's the wrong way to go.
"Tradition is important in our business. That, to me, is what we buy in sports -- tradition, our old heros, our new heros -- and it's important for these guys who are playing now to know the past players and what actually happened with this organization.
"I know that under Cliff (Fletcher) some of that was restored, and it's continuing now with Ken (Dryden). To me, it's the right way to go."
Tuesday January 5, 1999 Wendel still can be electrifying
On certain nights, high above the scoreboard at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Bill Barilko and Ace Bailey banners sway mysteriously.
It's said the swaying becomes more pronounced when the Maple Leafs play poorly, as they did for the first 30 minutes against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night.
But it was an ex-Leaf from the ranks of the living who came back to haunt his old club.
Wendel Clark, Toronto's long-time captain and the seventh highest goal-scorer in franchise history (258), set up three Tampa Bay goals, staking the visitors to a 4-2 led after 40 minutes.
But not even Clark's superlative effort, in his final appearance at the Gardens, could save the hapless Lightning, which succumbed to the Leafs 5-4 in overtime.
"It would have been a lot nicer walking out with a win," said Clark, who leads the NHL's worst team with 28 points, including 18 goals, in 33 games. "But it's always fun coming back. I played here a lot of years (11) and this is basically home."
Clark, who has managed to stay remarkably healthy this season, was made to feel at home by the Gardens' faithful. And the Kelvington, Sask., native responded with a spirited game, saluting the fans when he skated out on the ice as the game's second star. His last two setups, on second-period goals by Alex Selivanov and Mikael Andersson, were show-stoppers.
On Selivanov's goal, Clark intercepted an errant pass by Leafs defenceman Sylvain Cote along the boards and found the Russian standing open in front of the net.
Late in the period, charging down the right side, Clark made a nifty deke on Yannick Tremblay before feeding Andersson in front.
"I probably lost the puck," Clark said with a laugh, playing down the deke. "What? Don't you see assists (from me) that often? I did it a few times here didn't I? It just didn't work half the time."
Clark, 32, denied any feelings of ill will toward the Toronto organization, which let him walk after last season.
Tampa coach Jacques Demers called the loss "devastating."
"The bottom line is, we got beat by a team that had more offence than we did," he said. "It would have been such a wonderful night for Wendel."
Sunday January 3, 1999 Potvin has no takers: LOTS OF INTEREST BUT NO CAT TAKERS
So you are Felix Potvin. The year has changed, but not the place in which you are about to spend it. At least not yet.
But what will happen with Potvin? Where he will go when he is finally traded? So many questions, so few answers, so much time.
A week or so ago, heading to Montreal (to the Canadiens, not his parents' home) seemed a reasonable long-term bet, except after adding front-office consultant Jacques Lemaire, the Habs also have added four victories against the Leafs, Oilers, Flames and the Canucks, who the Canadiens defeated 2-1 last night.
One of the big reasons for the Canadiens recent resurgence, too, according to reports out of Montreal, has been the play of goaltender Jeff Hackett. And that is bad news for the Leafs, who deep down still are hoping the Habs eventually will become so desperate for a goaltender that they will dig deep to overpay for the Cat. For now, that doesn't appear likely.
Then there are the Islanders, who reportedly have been shopping the enigmatic Bryan Berard (who also is nursing a sore groin and is out at least another week) to several teams, although so much is wrong with the Isles it's hard to see that team ultimately pulling the trigger on a deal for Potvin, especially when they are going nowhere and they have Roberto Luongo waiting in the wings. But then, stranger things have happened.
Of course, the Isles might simply want to broker a bigger, three-way deal, say with the Oilers, who will eventually realize that when Doug Weight returns in a month or so that they have the overall talent to make some serious noise again in the playoffs, but not the goaltending to do it.
Indeed, there are several general managers around the league who still think it will be the Oilers who come calling for Potvin, but for the moment they're waiting for Weight and they're hoping the Leafs will get overanxious and perhaps lower the asking price.
At worst, the longer any team waits the more chunks of Potvin's $2.7-million salary will be eaten up, making him more affordable for the stretch drive and post-season, which is a consideration if you are the Oilers.
It also has been suggested that the impressive play of Oilers rookie defenceman Tom Poti alongside Roman Hamrlik has some scouts believing the Oilers eventually would part with Janne Niinimaa to get a goaltender.
One other team that long has been interested in Potvin and actually was talking with Curtis Joseph before he signed with the Leafs as a free agent in the summer is Anaheim.
Why would the Mighty Ducks be interested when they already have Guy Hebert, who is a pretty good goaltender? Hebert becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Potvin will be become a restricted free agent, meaning he will be around longer, or at least there is compensation if he signed elsewhere.
Whatever, it looks like Montreal is sitting tight for now. Same with Chicago and Calgary, which picked up Andrei Trefilov this past week as insurance. The Isles and Oilers still seem like possibilities, maybe even the Ducks and Canucks. There just doesn't seem to be anything that is imminent, although that could change.
Saturday January 2, 1998 Leaf talks on hold
Trade discussions between the Maple Leafs and New York Islanders involving Felix Potvin have been delayed by injuries to goalie Tommy Salo and Kenny Jonsson.
Jonsson, a former Leafs defenceman, has suffered two concussions in the past six weeks, while Salo is nursing a broken finger.
Though Jonsson is playing again, the Isles have been stung by concussions before and want to make sure he is 100% healthy before trading another defenceman to Toronto for Potvin.
A source close to the Islanders said yesterday the New York team would be willing to send 1997 Calder Trophy winner Bryan Berard to Toronto for the AWOL netminder.
Salo, who is expected back next week, would then be dealt to Tampa Bay or Edmonton to make room for Potvin.
Berard, a defenceman, recently was sidelined by a pulled groin muscle but is expected to rejoin his team in seven to 10 days.
Meanwhile, Potvin's former playing partner with the Leafs, Marcel Cousineau, recently unseated Wade Flaherty as Salo's main backup.