NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Saturday April 1, 2000 11:30PM EST
Friday March 31, 2000 Leafs assistant coach wants to stay
The long rumoured Mike Smith-Alpo Suhonen reunion tour could be off.
Suhonen, the Maple Leafs assistant coach and part-architect of their go-go offence the past two seasons, said yesterday he would begin talks on a new contract with Toronto general manager/coach Pat Quinn.
It was assumed the globe-trotting Finn would be a candidate to join the Chicago Blackhawks, who are expected to hire a new coach next season.
Former Leafs associate general manager Mike Smith, who brought Suhonen to Toronto, is now the Hawks manager of hockey operations. Hawks senior vice-president Bob Pulford took over as coach earlier this season, with Lorne Molleken being downgraded to associate coach.
"Working with Toronto has been very good," Suhonen said. "We'll discuss (a contract) in the next couple of weeks. But in my old contract, I had a window (to leave) as a head coach (elsewhere)."
Smith has championed Suhonen's cause to be the first European head coach in the National Hockey League since hiring him as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets in 1989-90.
"I offered him the head-coaching job there once (in 1991, after Smith fired Bob Murdoch) and he turned it down," Smith said yesterday. "He had decided to go back to Finland and manage the national theatre company of Turku."
But Smith would not confirm that he plans to make a coaching change.
"We'll wait about a month or so after the season to address those things," Smith said.
It is expected that Ivan Hlinka of the Czech Republic will become the first European head coach next season, taking over the Pittsburgh Penguins from interim coach Herb Brooks.
Suhonen, who embraced the philosophy of such North American coaches as the late Fred Shero, certainly would take the job in Chicago and believes he has gained the respect of players and the media in Toronto. However, insiders believe Suhonen is unprepared for the rigours of life as an NHL head coach.
"Why not (a European)?" said Suhonen, 52, who has coached more than 1,000 games with the Finnish national program and various clubs around Europe. "There has been a long history of assistant coaches from Europe. We've become used to European players in the NHL."
As GM of the Jets, Smith originally hired Suhonen as a scout, then later an assistant coach and farm team coach.
"Mike and I see sports, especially hockey, the same way," Suhonen said.
Suhonen and Smith also share an appreciation for the arts, such as jazz and theatre.
"The theatre for me is a real passion," Suhonen said. "The theatre is mostly about the spectrum of life, it goes to the basic meaning of what it is to be a human being. "Everyone is a human being first, before they become a hockey player or a writer or whatever."
Tuesday March 28, 2000 Korolev nominated for Masterton
Igor Korolev was named yesterday the Maple Leafs' nominee for the Bill Masteron Memorial Trophy.
But if Korolev were to win the NHL award, he would have to handle it gingerly.
That's because Korolev hasn't regained full flexibility in the index finger on his left hand. Almost a year after the finger was broken by a slash from New Jersey's Bobby Holik, the 29-year-old centre suffers the after-effects.
Yet Korolev has fought through the adversity without churning out excuses, making him an ideal candidate for this award. The Masterton annually is awarded to the NHL player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
"I was really surprised, actually," Korolev said of his nomination. "It's a great feeling."
Korolev, who has learned to shoot and pass while holding his hockey stick differently because of the broken finger, plans to undergo surgery during the off-season to alleviate the problem. He also is coming off a broken left ankle suffered during Game 1 of last season's Eastern Conference quarter-final against the Philadelphia Flyers.
"I had a slow start this year, but I worked my way through it," Korolev said of the finger.
"After 15 or 20 games I was used to it.
"This is nothing. The worst thing that happened to me in my career was in Phoenix (with the Coyotes in 1997) when I played just half the games. I spent so much time in the press box. They told me I was a good player, but that there wasn't any room for me.
"That's the worst thing imaginable for a hockey player."
Maple Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn said he thought Korolev was a perfect representative for the award.
"As far as a coaching staff, Igor is very underrated, both in the dressing room and on the ice," Quinn said.
STRONG RETURNS
"He broke a finger because of a slash, then broke his foot, and he has come back from both."
Quinn praised the chemistry between Korolev and new linemate Jonas Hoglund during a 5-3 Toronto win Saturday over the New Jersey Devils.
Hoglund spent most of the season playing alongside Mats Sundin and Steve Thomas, a unit Quinn said Hoglund could rejoin at some point.
"(Hoglund) shouldn't look at this as a step down," Quinn said.
Said Hoglund: "Early in the season I was getting good bounces. I'm not doing anything different."
Saturday March 25, 2000 Leafs call up Andrusak from Chicago Wolves to replace ailing Markov
The Toronto Maple Leafs called up defenceman Greg Andrusak from the IHL's Chicago Wolves today in preparation for tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils.
Andrusak will take Daniil Markov's spot on the blue-line. Markov is out indefinitely with a fractured foot after blocking a shot Thursday in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Andrusak has two goals and 23 assists in 54 games with the Wolves this season. He played one game for the Leafs earlier this season, Oct. 23 against Montreal.
Friday March 24, 2000 Corel Centre claims another Leaf as Markov injured
Thirteen days ago, Bryan Berard left the Corel Centre on a stretcher.
Last night, Danny Markov left the same building on crutches.
This is one rink that has been cruel to Maple Leafs defencemen of late.
Markov was hurt when he was hit in the left foot by a shot midway through the third period of Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Adding salt to the wound was the fact Radek Bonk scored the winning goal on that same play.
Markov, who was taken for x-rays, said results would not be known until today. But there were concerns in the Leafs dressing room that Markov had fractured the foot.
"I don't know what is wrong yet," Markov said as he hobbled to the team bus. "But it is sore.
"I saw the puck coming, but it was coming too fast."
Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn could only shake his head in disbelief when asked about Markov.
"I don't know what it is, but it didn't look very good," Quinn said."
At least a foot injury is nowhere near as devastating as the eye injury suffered by Berard on March 11 in this arena. Berard returned home from hospital yesterday, the same day his teammates returned to the accident scene.
Toronto players wore sombre looks as they walked to their dressing room from the team bus about two hours before the game against the Senators. Indeed, it was difficult to focus on hockey while entering a building that brought back the memories of Berard's apparent career-ending eye injury.
While the Leafs were losing for the fourth time in five games since Berard was injured March 11 when he was hit in the right eye by Marian Hossa's stick, the 23-year-old defenceman was back at his family's home in Woonsocket, R.I. Berard was released from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York earlier in the day, less than 48 hours after Dr. Stanley Chang reattached the retina in the eye.
"Everything is fine," Berard's agent, Tom Laidlaw, said last night. "He was a little sore in the morning, but he was able to walk around.
"His spirits are up. We're hoping that he can address the public next week."
Berard's status will be checked daily by a doctor in Woonsocket. Despite the success of Wednesday's five-hour surgical procedure, the chances remain slim of Berard regaining vision in the eye.
Since the injury, the Leafs have struggled. They have lost at home to three of the NHL's weak sisters -- the Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers and New York Islanders.
Once again, the Leafs looked sluggish coming out of the gate last night. By 13:08 of the first period, they found themselves trailing 2-0 on goals by Rob Zamuner and Andreas Dackell.
Were the Leafs preoccupied by thoughts of Berard?
"We've dealt with that already, winger Steve Thomas said. "It's still on our minds, obviously, but out on the ice we don't think about it."
With the Leafs appearing down and out, rookie Nik Antropov changed the momentum, closing the gap to 2-1 with 55 seconds left in the period. Antropov was in perfect position in the high slot to put a Sergei Berezin rebound past Ottawa goalie Tom Barrasso.
Yanic Perreault tied it at 12:19 of the second period, putting his own rebound past Barrasso. It was a measure of revenge for Perreault, who had his left forearm broken by a Barrasso slash on Dec. 4, causing the centre to miss 23 games.
But Bonk's goal at 10:12 of the third period sealed the deal.
"I don't think we were as good as we needed to be," Quinn said. "Our forwards, quite frankly, weren't ready to play."
Quinn shuffled his lines throughout the game. One of his moves was to dump Jonas Hoglund off the top unit and put Darcy Tucker alongside Thomas and Mats Sundin.
"We were only getting offence from one line," Quinn said. "Obviously (last night) was no exception. We haven't played well in quite a while."