NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Saturday March 25, 2000 8:33PM EST
Wednesday March 22, 2000 Berard's retina reattached
Bryan Berard underwent a 41/2-hour operation yesterday in New York City, where a surgeon was able to reattach the retina of the Maple Leafs defenceman's badly damaged right eye.
But Berard's agent, Tom Laidlaw, cautioned that the procedure was no guarantee that any vision would be restored.
"It's a good sign that the operation was long and we're pretty encouraged, but everything's really up in the air right now," Laidlaw said last night. "The doctor will sit down with the family today (Berard's parents, Pam and Wally, travelled from Woonsocket, R.I., and were at his bedside) and see where they go from here. Bryan will have to come back a couple of times in the next week. He might be able to come to Toronto in a couple of weeks.
"We've been told that every eye is different and the (timetable) to monitor the recovery is hard to predict. A lot depends on everything around the eye staying in place."
The operation took place at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre in Manhattan and was performed by Dr. Stanley Chang. The first part of the surgery involved cleaning out the blood from around the eye, in order to assess the damage, although Chang was confident he could connect the retina.
Berard is expected to be released today and be monitored by a doctor in Woonsocket. The 23-year-old's career likely was ended by an accidental blow from Marian Hossa's stick March 11 in Ottawa.
"Bryan knows he's in a battle," teammate Garry Valk said yesterday morning at the Gardens after the Leafs completed practice. "Whether there's just a 5% chance (of him regaining sight), who cares? He's a battler and he has been one all of his life."
Chang is the chairman of ophthalmology at Columbia University. He received a patent in 1991 for his method and apparatus to treat complicated retinal detachments.
Meanwhile, e-mails and gifts continue to pile up at the Air Canada Centre. All the e-mails are being printed out and will be presented to Berard when he's well enough to come to Toronto to be checked by the Leafs' eye specialist, Dr. Rob Devenyi of Toronto Western Hospital.
"Our hopes and our prayers are with Bryan," general manager/coach Quinn said.
Monday March 20, 2000 Berard to undergo surgery on Tuesday
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan Berard will have surgery on his injured right eye Tuesday, and might get a better idea of his chances of regaining sight in the eye.
Berard consulted with retinal surgeon Dr. Stanley Chang in New York on Friday and will meet with him again Monday.
"It will be a combination of exploratory surgery, as well as a chance to clean the blood out and repair whatever damage they can," Tom Laidlaw, Berard's agent, said Saturday. "Once they get in the eye, they'll better be able to tell the extent of the damage."
Berard was injured March 11 in Ottawa when Senators forward Marian Hossa flailed at a bouncing puck with his stick, missed and struck Berard in the right eye. The blow cut the eyeball, detached the retina and broke the orbital bone.
After being flown by air ambulance to Toronto, Berard consulted with eye specialist Dr. Rob Devenyi last Tuesday. But because of the amount of blood in the eye, it was impossible to offer a definitive prognosis.
Berard, 23, returned to his family's home at Woonsocket, R.I., to rest and seek further medical advice.
"He's kind of anxious more than anything," Laidlaw said. "He was in quite a bit of pain, but doctors said that was to be expected.
"That's subsided somewhat and now he's feeling anxiety. He wants to find out what's going on with his eye."
Laidlaw said Berard opted for Chang, chair of Columbia University's department of ophthalmology, to perform the surgery because the doctor comes "highly recommended. He's thought of as one of the foremost experts in the world -- certainly in the United States."
Berard also wanted "to remain close to home and family."
Other than clearing blood from the eye cavity, it is believed Chang will attempt to reattach the retina.
"That's where the photo receptors are," Devenyi explained last week. "Those photo receptors are connected with the optic nerve to the brain."
Even if the retina, made of nerve tissue, can be reattached, there is no guarantee it will regain its function.
"That regeneration takes months and it can take as long as a year to get as good as it's going to get," Devenyi said.
"From what I understand, sometimes the damage is not that bad, yet a patient will regain no sight," Laidlaw said. "Sometimes it's real bad, but the patient regains some sight."
Wednesday March 15, 2000 Loss of Berard forces changes on defence
Pat Quinn has to reassemble his defence to compensate for the loss of Bryan Berard, and it's not a pleasant task.
Dmitry Yushkevich-Tomas Kaberle.
Alexander Karpovtsev-Danny Markov.
Both pairings have been solid, and the GM-coach prefers to retain them. But he might not be able to.
Berard, whose season is over and career probably finished as a result of the eye injury he suffered last Saturday night, was being used with either Gerald Diduck or Cory Cross. Chris McAllister was the extra defenceman.
Now, Quinn will try assorted combinations. He was getting the test tubes out as his team prepared to skate against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
"We'll change it around," Quinn replied when asked who'd play with whom. "We're not sure yet."
Will Yushkevich stay with Kaberle?
"We're not sure," Quinn said. "We're going to have to experiment.
"We've got to look to see what the best mix is now."
With only 12 games remaining, it's not the best time for a club still aiming at finishing first in the Eastern Conference to be experimenting. But Quinn has no choice.
Putting two of Diduck, Cross, McAllister on the ice at the same time isn't practical given Quinn's desire for a swift transition game. None of the three is fast enough or offensive-minded enough to fit the bill.
Yes, Berard will be difficult to replace.
"You just don't run out and replace an asset from a business standpoint that has the upside that Bryan has," Quinn said. "Replacing that takes years.
"When you think back on the history of how we acquired Bryan, it took a top goaltender (Felix Potvin, in a trade) to do that. It is not something that is replaced easily.
"We thought we were in good shape. We had four young guys coming along and three veterans. So the balance in our lineup was good and looked strong for years to come. Now we've lost one of those young guys, at least for the time being. We're all hopeful that something good happens but . . ."
The Leafs had won five in a row and nine of 10 before facing Chicago.
"During the season, there have been many times when a defenceman was injured and it seemed like other guys in the lineup stepped up and did a good job," said Yushkevich. "So we just have to continue to do the same."
With Berard out, Kaberle is the most offensive-minded of the remaining defencemen. It might be left to Markov to assume more of a Berard-like role now.
"It is a challenge for both of them," said Yushkevich.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph says he'll miss Berard's ability to rush out of the Leafs' end with the puck.
"Bryan has the skill to be a game-breaker," said Joseph. "If we're down a goal, he's the guy who brings the puck out of our end and jumps into the play.
"He's to our defence what Sergei Berezin is to our offence. He has a tremendous upside. Hopefully, the other guys can fill the void."
Most of the players had visited with Berard since he returned to the city Monday. Despite the dire prognosis on the damaged right eye, Berard's teammates continue to hope for a miracle.
"We're hoping he can still play again," said Joseph.
They intend to ask him to be with the team during the playoffs.
"I know the guys would like to have him around," said Quinn.
Wednesday March 15, 2000 Dryden to get new contract
Ken Dryden has agreed to terms on a new multi-year contract as Maple Leafs president, The Toronto Sun has learned.
"There are still jobs to do here," Dryden said last night. "I want the Toronto Maple Leafs to be the most important franchise in the world."
Dryden is nearing the end of a three-year deal he signed as the replacement for Cliff Fletcher in the summer of 1997.
Dryden has held several titles with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., including general manager. He had a bitter falling out with associate GM Mike Smith after the Leafs made it to the Eastern Conference final last spring. After parting ways with Smith, Dryden turned over much of the hockey operation and the GM title to coach Pat Quinn this season and concentrated on several pet projects.
They included improvements and amenities for the Air Canada Centre, handling charitable efforts, monitoring club interests in television and lobbying for federal tax relief.
For Dryden, a 52-year-old Hall of Fame goaltender who has tried his hand at everything from law to writing to broadcasting, this will be a long stay in one place.
"I don't want one or two good (Leafs seasons) to be a blip in the middle of 25 or 30 bad ones," Dryden said. "There was a task to be done when I came here -- to make this team a contender year in and year out."
Dryden's first incentive-laden contract called for a salary of about $500,000 a year. He wouldn't say how much of a raise he's getting, only that it's in line with his changing responsibilities.
Wednesday March 15, 2000 King returns to Leafs
Eric King can put away his Chicago Wolves paraphernalia and get the Toronto Maple Leafs garb back out now.
His dad is a Leaf again.
The nine-year-old son of NHL forward Kris King had been wearing IHL garb sent by his father, who was assigned to the Wolves last month. King rejoined the Leafs on Wednesday.
"He was disappointed for his dad," the veteran forward said of his son's reaction to the assignment. "But he was pretty proud I was playing for Chicago and I sent him home a hat and shirt he wore to school every day."
The heavy IHL workload was good from a hockey standpoint, but "being away from this group of guys and, more importantly, my wife and kids, it was something I wouldn't want to do again."
There is not a harder worker in the Leafs' dressing room, where King is one of the most popular players.
"I don't think I'm the quarterback on the power play, by any means," King joked. "I'm here to do whatever they want me to do.
"I've done that my whole career. Hopefully, the grit I provide is something this team needs come playoff time."
Sunday March 12, 2000 Berard sustains serious eye injury
There is still hope, but Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Bryan Berard has likely lost the use of his right eye after sustaining extensive damage when hit by an accidental high stick during the Leafs 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday night.
"The prospect of regaining vision in the eye is slim," said a Leafs spokesman on the club's media update telephone line Sunday morning, but further evaluation will take place.
Berard, whose young career could be ended by the injury, sustained "extensive damage" and underwent several hours of surgery in an Ottawa hospital after the stick of Senators forward Marian Hossa crashed into his face while Hossa was following through on an attempted shot during the second period.
The gravity of the situation was illustrated in the fact several of Berard's teammates, including captain Mats Sundin, defenceman Tomas Kaberle and winger Jonas Hoglund, returned to Ottawa to be visit with him. They had chartered back to Toronto after the game Saturday night.
"It's serious," said Toronto coach and general manager Pat Quinn after the game.
Berard, 22, was hit in the right eye by the shaft of Hossa's stick at 15:20 of the second period as Hossa took a swing at a bouncing puck. Blood poured from the injury as he was helped off the ice. He was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery. The Leafs players were visibly shaken after the game.
"We're all hoping and praying that he'll be able to see out of the eye again," said Sundin.
Hossa was attempting to take a shot on goal when he wheeled and took a swipe at the puck. A Leafs player intercepted it, but Hossa was already in mid-swing. His follow through stuck Berard in the face.
"It was just an accident. I didn't mean to do it," said Hossa, who was assessed a double-minor for highsticking on the play. "The puck was bouncing. I was shocked to see his face was bleeding. I hit him hard. I wanted to comfort him, but I could see he was bleeding. There was nothing I could do."
Quinn wasn't quick to forgive after seeing what he thought were a number of carelessly carried sticks on the part of the Senators earlier in the game.
"Guys who play with their sticks like that are either dirty guys or scared guys," he said. "They're one or the other."
LEAFS PRAY FOR BERARD
A horrifying injury suffered by Maple Leafs defenceman Bryan Berard last night left his shaken teammates wondering if he will regain full sight in his right eye.
"We have to pray he will be able to see out of the eye again," a visibly upset Mats Sundin said after Toronto's 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators last night. "We are all concerned for him -- more as a friend than a player."
Berard underwent emergency surgery last night in the trauma unit at Ottawa General Hospital. The operation was expected to last until 3 or 4 this morning.
Berard's agent, Tom Laidlaw, said the Leafs team bus was scheduled to stop at the medical centre before going to the airport so the team could be updated on the defenceman's condition.
At Berard's request, doctors would not release any details about his condition.
The incident occurred at 15:40 of the second period when Senators forward Marian Hossa took a shot at the Leafs net. As he was following through, his stick struck Berard in the area of the right eye.
Berard immediately dropped to the ice and began kicking his legs. As the team's medical staff rushed out to treat him, blood flowed from Berard's face.
As Berard was taken from the Corel Centre on a stretcher, a blue bandage was wrapped tightly around his head in order to maintain pressure on the eye. As he was taken to a waiting ambulance, eyewitnesses said blood continued to spew.
Berard was rushed to Ottawa Civic Hospital, where it quickly was determined that he needed to be taken to a trauma unit to receive the appropriate treatment.
"A number of specialists, including optical and plastic surgeons, were brought in," Leafs director of hockey operations Casey Vanden Heuvel said. "Once they assess the situation, they can determine what further steps need to be taken."
A source said surgery was needed because physicians were having difficulty controlling the bleeding.
"It was an accident," Hossa said. "I didn't mean to do it. The puck was bouncing.
"I was shocked to see his face was bleeding. I hit him hard. I wanted to comfort him but there was nothing I could do."
Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn wasn't buying Hossa's explanation.
"Guys who play with their sticks up like that are either dirty guys or scared guys," Quinn said. "They are one or the other."
One Leafs official said a shattered cheekbone would leave Berard out of commission for six weeks. That certainly would be the lesser of two evils should Berard come out of this with his eyesight intact.
As the rest of the team headed back to Toronto last night, Leafs team therapist Brent Smith remained in Ottawa to monitor Berard's situation.
The win over the Senators gave the Leafs five consecutive victories -- all of them coming at the expense of the other Canadian-based teams.
The past four wins came during a lengthy trip that featured stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
Yet that didn't seem to matter much to the players, who couldn't get their minds off Berard.
"This certainly is a black cloud over a good trip. Our thoughts are with him," Steve Thomas said.
"We are all thinking about Bryan," Tie Domi said. "Forget the road trip, forget all of that. The most important thing in this organization right now is him."
Sunday March 12, 2000 Khristich to return
Just when it appeared the Maple Leafs were getting healthy again, disaster struck.
Team officials confirmed yesterday morning that forward Dmitri Khristich will return to the ice to practise with his teammates tomorrow. A groin injury has kept Khristich out of the Toronto lineup for the past 11 games.
But that good news was put into context with the horrific right-eye injury suffered by defenceman Bryan Berard in the second period of last night's 4-2 win over the Senators.
While the Leafs spent the past week on a four-game Canadian trip through Vancouver,Edmonton,Calgary and Ottawa, Khristich remained in Toronto where he underwent rehabilitation. Khristich was re-examined by doctors late last week.
"He's making great progress," Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn said after Toronto's morning skate at the Corel Centre. "Of course, we're going to be very cautious with it."
With Khristich improving and fellow forward Sergei Berezin back in the lineup from a hamstring injury, Quinn no longer felt pressure to acquire a sniper by Tuesday's trade deadline.
"There's no question it eliminates part of the reason you would go out and actively scramble to bring in offensive help," Quinn said.
"I don't have anything going right now, but you never say never."
About 10 hours later, Quinn's mood was much more subdued after the injury suffered by Berard, who underwent surgery last night on his eye.
Quinn and the Leafs brass were scheduled to huddle in Toronto today to discuss a plan of action heading into the trade deadline.
Quinn was in no mood after the game to discuss whether the club will seek a defenceman on the open market to replace Berard.
The Leafs reportedly were approached by the Islanders last week concerning possible interest in former Leafs defenceman Kenny Jonsson.
But the Leafs balked after the asking price was far too high.
Another name making the rounds recently is that of veteran Tampa Bay defenceman Petr Svoboda. Should the Lightning not be able to re-sign him by today, he could be dealt.
St. Louis and Detroit are the frontrunners to acquire Svoboda's services.
Saturday March 11, 2000 Corson headed to Leafs?
A week ago, Shayne Corson stood up to Tie Domi in an entertaining scrap at centre ice of the Air Canada Centre. A week from now will the two combatants be standing beside each other in the Toronto dressing room?
Whispers the Leafs are interested in the Canadiens veteran won't go away as the NHL trade deadline nears.
"I am trying to concentrate on getting the job done on the ice," Corson said yesterday. "I hope we are all here next Tuesday (deadline day) because I think we have a team that we can do some damage in the playoffs."
The Habs apparently want to keep Corson and are attempting to hammer out a new deal. But the team has a $4-million option on him for next season, which it feels is way too much money.
The latest offer from the team is a two-year deal worth $1.6 million per season. Corson is seeking a three-year deal worth $2 million per season.
So what does Montreal management do? Break up a team that has been making a sustained run and mess with the chemistry that has it there?
That may be the biggest complicating factor in any deal coming to fruition.
"There is no pressure to get (a new deal) done before the trade deadline but I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't in a hurry to get a new contract," Corson said.
Nothing concrete is coming out of Leafs camp in terms of who is being offered to the Habs, but separate packages keying on Alyn McCauley or Yanic Perreault have been rumoured.
Saturday March 11, 2000 Leafs determined to finally beat Sens
All that's missing is a Pierre Berton narrative as the Maple Leafs attempt to complete their own version of the national dream.
After chugging across Canada, they would like to drive the last spike through the Ottawa Senators tonight and open up a seven-point lead on the Sens in search of their first divisional title in 37 years.
But if there's any team that can railroad them, it's Ottawa, which has been as difficult to break through as the Rockies were a century ago.
The methodical Senators have given the Leafs fits since last season and are the only Eastern Conference team Toronto has failed to defeat this season (0-2-1). Against the other four Canadian clubs, the Leafs are 8-3-1.
Throw in those rabid Ottawa fans -- and Bytown's barroom conspiracy theorists, who think the big-money Leafs wanted them to fold -- and you've got a boiling rivalry.
'Punched our lights out'
"Let's face it, everyone hates Toronto," Leafs' general manager/coach Pat Quinn said with a smile on Thursday night after the Leafs whipped Calgary 6-2. "But I'm sure that in every closet in Ottawa, someone's hiding a Leafs sweater and I'm sure we'll see some of those (tonight), too.
"We were rolling pretty good at the start of the year (3-0) when we went in (to Ottawa), but they punched our lights out (a 4-3 loss)."
In wins over Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary during the past week, the Leafs totalled 18 goals on 95 shots, scoring some artistic points. But tonight they'll put down the palette and pull on the steel-toed boots.
"It's never a pretty game against Ottawa," centre Kevyn Adams said. "They play a smart game, hang around the neutral zone, lull you to sleep a bit and then pounce."
The Sens can match the Leafs' speed, but Toronto intends to give Ottawa some of its own bitter medicine.
"Calgary came out (early) like that against us, but Ottawa can do it for three periods," defenceman Dmitry Yushkevich said. "We have to get the puck out of our end quickly and get it deep, to take away their flow."
Alyn McCauley, who played junior for the Ottawa 67's, can't recall one good game the Leafs have played at the Corel Centre since he has been in the National Hockey League.
"They used our (February slump) to get back in the hunt for first (in the Conference)," McCauley said. "Like we do at the Air Canada Centre, they're known for playing well in their own building."
McCauley agrees the city takes pride in being able to show up the high-profile Leafs.
"They're a small market with a smaller payroll than ours, but they also beat us in the division last year," he said. "They've certainly had our number."
Monday March 6, 2000 Berezin returns to action
Sergei Berezin never dreamed he would be away two months and certainly didn't expect to get back in the lineup through another man's misfortune.
But the fluid left winger, the Maple Leafs' top goal producer last season with 37, finally has the nod to play again, tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.
The official target for Berezin after weeks of therapy for a pulled hamstring was Thursday in Calgary against the Flames. But circumstances changed when Alyn McCauley's grandmother died during the weekend and the centre left the team to be with his family in Gananoque. McCauley will miss tonight's game as well as tomorrow's in Edmonton against the Oilers.
Berezin gladly moved up his timetable.
"I am not 100%, but I can play," Berezin said yesterday after the Leafs shook off their jet lag at a suburban Vancouver rink. "(Team doctors) feel comfortable letting me go. They said I will feel just stiffness, not pain, and that it gradually will go away."
General manager/coach Pat Quinn's thoughts were with McCauley who, during the past three seasons, has had to deal with several calamities on and off the ice.
"He has had unfortunate timing, but he has had the strength to come back," Quinn said. "We want to be careful with Sergei. We can't afford to have him out another six weeks."
The tentative plan for tonight, based on the lines at practice, would see Igor Korolev at centre between Darcy Tucker and Garry Valk, and Yanic Perreault centring Berezin and Nik Antropov.
Quinn was concerned Berezin might not feel up to back-to-back games, so he might employ his lone extra forward, Wendel Clark, tomorrow in Edmonton or use a seventh defenceman.
Berezin first experienced a twinge of pain on Jan. 8 against the New York Rangers, the night he scored his 17th goal of the season. He took five games off, then came back to play three games in four nights.
But he was in constant pain for weeks after, with an MRI finally revealing he had strained the hamstring so badly that the tendon had damaged the lower pelvic bone.
Sunday March 5, 2000 MRI turns up bad news for Khristich
Don't expect Dmitri Khristich to return to the Maple Leafs' lineup for at least two weeks.
"I had an MRI taken Friday and it showed the tear is still there," Khristich said after watching his team's 4-3 win over Montreal last night.
The veteran forward has missed the Leafs' seven games because of a groin injury.
"The doctor said this type of injury takes 4-6 weeks to heal," he said. "So far, it has been only two weeks."
While his teammates embark on a four-game trip, Khristich will stay in Toronto. He will have daily treatments at the Air Canada Centre before visiting the doctor at the end of the week.
"The frustrating thing is, I can walk, play golf, and think I am ready," Khristich said. "Then when I try to go on the ice, well, I have never experienced anything quite like this."
With it now appearing Khristich will be out until after the March 14 trade deadline, it should be interesting to see whether general manager/coach Pat Quinn acquires scoring depth.