NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Monday November 29, 1999 11:16PM EST
Monday November 29, 1999 Leafs trade Todd Warriner
Left-winger Todd Warriner has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third-round selection in the 2000 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday.
Warriner, 25, was in his sixth season in the Leafs' organization. This season, he had three goals and one assist in 18 games. In 253 career games, he had 36 goals and 48 assists.
GM-coach Pat Quinn would have liked a more physical approach from the 200-pound forward, who joins former Leaf Fredrik Modin in Tampa.
Saturday November 27, 1999 Groin woes ground high-flying Berard
The only ice time Bryan Berard will get today is in the trainers' room.
Unable to shake a nagging groin injury, the Maple Leafs defenceman did not practise yesterday and will be out indefinitely.
"It's one of those things that has lingered over a period of time," Maple Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn said yesterday. "He was advised to take some time and rest it."
While it is uncertain how long Berard will be out, he definitely won't suit up for today's game against the Flyers. Berard didn't even make the trip to Philadelphia.
Judging by Quinn's comments, it also is unlikely Berard will play tomorrow night when the Leafs play host to the Edmonton Oilers at the Air Canada Centre.
Berard has one goal and nine assists in 21 games for the Leafs. The smooth-skating defenceman is second on the team with a plus-nine, trailing only Alexander Karpovtsev (plus-10).
The Leafs had contemplated calling up a replacement from their American Hockey League affiliate in St. John's. But they decided against it when fellow defenceman Danny Markov, who missed practice Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, was back on the ice yesterday and looked good.
The Leafs will miss Berard's ability to carry the puck out of his own end when they take on the Flyers, a team that thrives on intense forechecking.
"It's a big loss but we have some great defencemen here," Dimitry Yushkevich said. "We just have to do our jobs.
"When one of our key people is out of the lineup, it brings the team together. We know we have good defencemen on this team, so we'll step it up."
Friday November 19, 1999 Captain to captain
Mats Sundin was sorry to hear of the possible end of Wendel Clark's NHL career.
The two captains' careers will always be linked after the blockbuster trade in June of 1994 with the Quebec Nordiques.
Clark had a physical element Sundin could never hope to match, but fans eventually embraced the high-scoring Swede as a franchise player.
The Leafs re-acquired Clark and he played with Sundin for three years.
"It was very interesting to come here at first because it put me in an awkward position," Sundin told the Toronto Sun. "People still regard him here as a leader, one of the greatest Leafs. I'm accepted in a different way here than in my first year.
"I know he had a great career battered by injuries. It's not pleasant what he is going through."
Friday November 12, 1999 King's pride is restored
Kris King's pride was restored last night.
The classy Maple Leafs right winger found himself in the lineup after sitting nine consecutive games.
Leafs enforcer Tie Domi was not ready to test his sore ribs yet, so King was back on the fourth line.
King, 33, understood the reason for his lack of playing time. Still, it was tough to swallow.
"I wasn't very happy with it because obviously pride plays a big part with anybody's career," King said. "You want to be a regular."
Although King scored just once and had a lone assist in 17 playoff games, he was a big part of Toronto's unexpected playoff run to the Eastern Conference final last spring.
The post-season is a time when physical play is turned up -- a style of play upon which King thrives. The Leafs probably didn't display enough physical play against the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference final but King was one of the few who did.
The veteran felt good about his contribution. He came to training camp ready to assume his spot on the right wing of the fourth line.
But Leafs coach Pat Quinn pulled him in for a chat before the regular season began. The Leafs had too many players. Quinn told King the youngsters were going to get a chance.
A quick 3-0-0-0 start by the Leafs didn't help King's cause. But rather than whine, King kept quiet so he wouldn't bring his teammates down.
"The hardest part was coming to the rink at 7 p.m. and, as the guys were preparing for the game, I would be going to the weight room and ride the bike," he said.
"But I felt I worked pretty hard, not that I haven't had to do that my whole career to stay here."
King could have asked to be moved, as centre Steve Sullivan did when he was in the same predicament. But King, who is in the third of a four-year contract, wants to remain in Toronto.
"I like this team and I think this team is going to do a lot of good things this year," he said. "I want to be a part of it.
"In all honesty, things haven't changed much in the last year. I still do the (leadership) things I have to do in the dressing room and the young guys still come up ask me things. I'm just not playing as much."
Friday November 5, 1999 Leafs motivate players with bonus money
The Maple Leafs are reaping the benefits of a team bonus scheme established by team president Ken Dryden when he was hired three years ago.
Following Wednesday's win over Carolina, most of the players earned a $2,500 bonus -- $1,500 for the club's fifth straight win and $1,000 for the shutout.
Over the course of Toronto's 10-3-1-0 start, each player has earned an extra $10,000, more than half of it coming for defensive results.
"We had that three years ago, too, when we didn't make the playoffs," Dryden said Thursday in Montreal, where he was attending a CHA news conference. "It's nice to have a team bonus structure, so the fourth-line guy gets the same as the first-line guy. But I don't think it makes such a difference."
"It's a carrot," goaltender Curtis Joseph told the Toronto Star. "It's especially good when you have a shutout going into the final 10 minutes. I know I'm very thankful for the team bonus money."
Wednesday November 3, 1999 NHL investigating Quinn
Maple Leafs coach/general manager Pat Quinn is in hot water with the NHL, the Toronto Sun reports.
The league is investigating reports that Quinn went overboard when he berated linesman Scott Driscoll at the end of Saturday's Toronto-Calgary game at the Air Canada Centre.
Quinn was upset that the Flames jumped offside during a neutral-zone faceoff with 4.3 seconds remaining and the Calgary net empty.
The Flames, who were trailing 2-1, busted into the Leafs zone but could not muster a scoring chance before time expired.
The NHL is reviewing video tape from the game which showed Quinn screaming at Driscoll from the Leafs bench after the game.
While Quinn's tirade earned him a gross misconduct and automatic $200 fine, he could face further fines if the NHL rules he verbally abused the official.