NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Sunday October 8, 2000 12:54AM EST
Saturday October 7 2000 Corson anxious for Leafs tenure against rival Canadiens
For Shayne Corson, there is no better way to begin his tenure as a Toronto Maple Leaf than by facing his former team, the Montreal Canadiens, at the Air Canada Centre. "I've been trying to contain my excitement for the last three weeks," Corson said after practice Friday. "It's going to be an emotional night for me." Corson was one of three big off-season acquisitions for Toronto -- along with forward Gary Roberts and defenceman Dave Manson. But the six-foot-one left-winger has missed all of training camp with a viral infection that has left him about eight pounds under his playing weight of 202 pounds. Still, Corson says that won't impede his feisty play when Toronto renews its long-standing rivalry with Montreal on Saturday (7 p.m. EDT, CBC). "There was no way I was going to miss this game," said Corson, who spent 11 of his 16 NHL seasons with Montreal. "Each day I feel better. "I feel good on the ice and feel a little bit quicker actually so maybe it's a good thing." On Friday, Corson was skating on a line with centre Alyn McCauley and Leafs' enforcer Tie Domi. Ironically, Corson and Domi often were combatants when Corson was with Montreal. "Now I don't have to battle Tie, he can stick up for me," Corson said with a chuckle. "I never was in Tie's category, he's a heavyweight. "I was more the type of guy that plays hard and when I have to fight I will fight. It's nice to be playing with him now." But Corson isn't the only Leaf anxiously awaiting the start of a season where Toronto fans expect their team to seriously contend for its first Stanley Cup title since 1967. "Believe it or not, I still get nervous about the first game of the season," said veteran forward Steve Thomas. "You want to get off to a good start, you want to get that first win under your belt. "It has been a long wait. It is exciting." Excitement that is heightened by starting the season off against a long-time rival like Montreal. "I think we would be ready to play any team in the league but with Montreal coming in, it makes it that more special," Thomas said. "I don't think there is any more reason (for Leafs players) to get up for the game but for fans, the Toronto-Montreal rivalry makes it a pretty special season opener." But Pat Quinn, the Leafs' coach and general manager, figures Montreal will hold the upper hand early. That's because the Canadiens opened their season Friday in New Jersey and thus won't be fazed by the pomp and pageantry associated with a season opener at home. "Opening night is a terrific night ..n. but I've always found the home team has a bit of disadvantage," Quinn said. "You have the butterflies and everything ready to go and then you wait (for opening ceremonies) and then you wait a little longer and there is a chance for a little lull in there. "And the opposition in this case will have played at least one game and won't be experiencing the same thing. So we'll probably have to look for a re-surge. But we will be excited all day long because it's nice to finally get it going." And in Thomas's mind, finally gaining closure to the bitter ending of last year's historic season. The Leafs whipped their supporters into a frenzy last season by registering the first 100-point campaign in the club's illustrious history. But the fans' Stanley Cup aspirations came crashing to earth when New Jersey eliminated Toronto from the second round of the NHL playoffs.
Saturday October 7 2000 NHLers stunned by ruling
Tie Domi was in mourning yesterday -- for his friend Marty McSorley and all hockey players who make their living in the trenches. "Marty's done now," Domi said quietly yesterday after word of the McSorley guilty verdict spread around the Air Canada Centre. "He's been found guilty of something he's done (in a sport he has played) respectably for 18 years." Domi's concern, shared by many Maple Leafs, is how yesterday's verdict in Vancouver will affect their willingness to stand up for teammates or use even the most rudimentary intimidation that is part of the game. Even a clean player such as Mats Sundin slammed the decision. "It makes you wonder," the captain said. "Will you be charged when you throw a bodycheck and you hurt someone? I'm disappointed something that happened on the ice gets settled in a courtroom. We can take care of that (discipline) in our league." McSorley's Boston Bruins teammates also were leery of the message the verdict sent. "It opens up a can of worms," defenceman Don Sweeney said, speculating a major league pitcher might now be vulnerable in court for throwing at a batter. Bruins defenceman Kyle McLaren called the verdict "shocking." "It happens in games. It happens all the time. There's other stuff that's probably worse than that," McLaren said. Domi was particularly concerned about Toronto's visit to Vancouver on Oct. 16 and whether his actions in that game would be under a legal microscope. "Do I second-guess myself?" Domi said. "Do I hold back (defending a Leaf)? "I've knocked out a few guys, I've hurt them severley. This (the McSorley verdict) is a whole new outlook. "(The code of league enforcers) has been part of my job for 12 years and part of Marty's for 18," Domi added. "But he makes one mistake and he's gone. "We can't let people outside our game control it. I hope the league and the players association step in now and appeal. It's up to them to be accountable for our game." McSorley was suspended indefinitely by the league, while Brashear is back playing for the Canucks. "This was not a trial of the game or the NHL," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Clearly this incident was not representative of NHL hockey or NHL players. "While the court's decision brings closure to this aspect of the incident, it does not alter our position that we will continue to punish severely acts of inappropriate conduct." Leafs coach and GM Pat Quinn also was worried the lines between tough hockey and the criminal code would be blurred. "It's always been a game that's played with force and intimidation and you have that sort of (McSorley) thing happen once in awhile," Quinn said. "No one wants it. Our league is trying hard to crack down on things we don't want in the game and one of them has been stick situations." New Leaf Shayne Corson said there has to be more respect in the game between players, who must realize that personal health, families and future employment are all on the line when actions such as McSorley's get carried away. "I hope it works out for him and Donald," Corson said. "I'm sure he didn't want to hit (Brashear) in the head like that. You could see it in his face every day he was going into court. He's been through hell in this." McSorley must meet with Bettman before he can be considered for reinstatement.
Friday October 6 2000 Players wary as officials call it by the book
All that muscle the Maple Leafs added this summer will go for naught if they forget to use their heads. With referees working with a mandate of little or no tolerance of stickwork or obstruction, the grit supplied by Leafs newcomers Shayne Corson, Gary Roberts and Dave Manson will matter little if it translates into a parade of minor penalties. Officials are calling games by the book, even if that means some crowded quarters in the respective penalty boxes. Leafs forward Darcy Tucker witnessed that Wednesday night. He watched on television as 19 minor penalties were handed out during the NHL season opener between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. "We were told before our first pre-season game that officials would be going by the book, and that's the way it has been throughout the exhibition games and into the season," Tucker said last night. "That certainly was the case in the parts of the Avalanche-Stars game I saw. They were calling it the way they said they would call it, and they are showing no reluctance to call a second penalty to create a five-on-three situation.
"As players, we're going to have to be smarter and think out on the ice. There is nothing wrong with physical play but it's obvious that there will be no tolerance for things such as slashing from behind. "We are going to have to adapt or you will cost your team. And the last thing you want to do is put your team down." Andy van Hellemond, who took over as NHL director of officiating from Bryan Lewis this summer, is aware that critics claim the rash of penalties will ruin the game. "Talk to the people who are committing the penalties," van Hellemond said last night. "If you don't slash, hook or hold, you won't get called. "This is all about player accountability. Once the players buy into what we're doing, it should all work out." Van Hellemond pointed to a penalty to Stars captain Derian Hatcher with 20 seconds left in the third period. "Hatcher took a run at a guy and left his feet," van Hellemond said. "Players must understand the rule book will be enforced for the entire 60 minutes." Meanwhile, the NHL announced that Rule 89 was applied incorrectly by referees Mark Faucette and Dan O'Halloran during the 2-2 tie between the Avalanche and Stars. With Hatcher in the box at the start of overtime, the teams played five-on-four. Under Rule 89, the teams should have played four-on-three. Both referees have been disciplined.
Wednesday October 4 2000 McCabe participates in his first practice with Leafs
They're best friends, share the same first name, even spell it the same way. And it seems Bryan McCabe also shares Bryan Berard's offensive flare. McCabe participated in his first workout with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday and showed he's capable of carrying the play and setting up scoring chances with nifty passes. During the club's scrimmage, the six-foot-one, 215-pound defenceman led a rush from his own end and capped it off by threading the needle on a nice centring pass that captain Mats Sundin re-directed past goaltender Curtis Joseph. "I'm going to work hard every night, I want to be a leader and hopefully I can put some pucks into the net," McCabe said when asked about his role with Toronto this season. Toronto acquired McCabe from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday for defenceman Alexander Karpovtsev and a 2001 fourth-round draft pick. At age 25, McCabe is five years younger than Karpovtsev and is expected to inherit much of the role Berard filled before suffering a career-threatening eye injury in March. Berard was a good fit in the Leafs' attacking style, which emphasizes skating and quick passes. A gifted skater, Berard never hesitated to jump into the rush and create an odd-man advantage for Toronto, which was the NHL's fourth-highest scoring team last year with 248 goals en route to its first-ever 100-point season. It's a free-wheeling style McCabe is anxious to play. "It's exciting hockey," said McCabe, who had 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) with Chicago last season. "It's fun for the fans to watch and a lot of fun for the players to play." The St. Catharines, Ont., native can also play it tough, having topped 100 penalty minutes in each of his NHL seasons. Many hockey pundits expect McCabe to quarterback the Leafs' power play, rated No. 6 in the NHL last year with a 17.8 per cent success ratio. But head coach-general manager Pat Quinn has yet to decide if McCabe will be on the ice when Toronto has the man advantage. "Bryan (Berard) was an unusual sort of guy," Quinn said. "His strength wasn't the power play, it was jumping up into the play. "As the quarterback of the power play, he was just an average sort of guy . . . I'm not sure we've had that quarterback, so to speak, and I don't know if we have one right now." But Quinn knows what he has in McCabe, adding he expects McCabe to play in Toronto's season opener Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre (7 p.m. EDT, CBC). "He's a good athlete, I know that," Quinn said. "We knew ahead of time that he can skate and handle the puck. "The issue for a defenceman is position and keeping the puck out of our net. We'll have to watch that as we go along but he looks fine." One blemish on McCabe's record is that Toronto is his fourth team in less than three seasons (New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago). That, McCabe says, has made it difficult for him to feel comfortable and get into a groove. "I was just starting to feel at home in Chicago," he said. "They had another coach (former Leafs assistant Alpo Suhonen), I think I've had 10 coaches and a few GMs in six years so it is tough to get settled in and comfortable with yourself and grow with the team when you keep moving. "Hopefully I'll be here for a while." Another sore point for McCabe is that he has yet to participate in an NHL playoff game. His last post-season action came with Brandon of the WHL in 1995. But McCabe fully expects to end that drought with Toronto. His addition, along with three veterans the Leafs acquired in the off-season, forwards Gary Roberts and Shayne Corson plus defenceman Dave Manson, have raised expectations that the club will contend for its first Stanley Cup since 1967. "It has been a long time since I've played on a playoff team so I'm excited to come to a playoff contender," he said.
Wednesday October 4 2000 Joseph, Corson ready to go
Barring a last-minute setback, Cujo is a go. After battling a nagging groin injury for much of training camp, Curtis Joseph is expected to be in goal for the Maple Leafs when they open their 2000-01 season against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. "He'll very likely play," Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn said yesterday. "He wants to play. "With an injury like he has had, he still could go down. But until that time, it looks like he'll be there." Joseph, 33, did not see any pre-season NHL action until six days ago in Detroit, where he allowed four goals on 16 shots in half a game against the Red Wings. He played the entire game against the Wings Sunday night in Hamilton, turning aside 23 of 25 shots in a 3-2 Toronto win. "Everything is going according to plan," Joseph said. "It was good to play a full game, then get (Monday) off. "I don't want to make any bold statements but I do feel pretty good." Also slated to be in the lineup against Montreal is forward Shayne Corson, who was felled by a stomach virus two weeks ago. The illness caused Corson, 34, to lose 10 pounds. "I think Corson is ready," Quinn said. "He has been cleared to play. It's just a matter of building up his strength." Corson left the Canadiens as a free agent during the off-season. "There is no way I am going to miss this game," Corson said. Should he regain his stamina, Corson could get a regular shift against his former team. If not, he is expected to see spot duty on the fourth line. "We haven't had a lot of line work to this point, so we expect to work on that in the next few days of practice," Quinn said. "If Shayne is ready, it could affect three of our possible line combinations." To this point, only the Mats Sundin-Jonas Hoglund-Steve Thomas line appears set.
Tuesday October 3 2000 MacLean avoids demotion downer
Don MacLean has heard this tune before. He led the Los Angeles Kings in pre-season scoring in 1997 and made the team, only to see his National Hockey League dream die after 22 games. History is beginning to repeat itself three years later to a degree. MacLean, the previously unknown centre from Sydney, N.S., piled up five goals and two assists in eight games, while some lethargic Maple Leafs veterans shot pre-season blanks. But MacLean wasn't doing cartwheels down the halls of the Air Canada Centre yesterday when forward Jeff Farkas was sent to St. John's along with defencemen D.J. Smith and Nathan Dempsey. His work is just beginning. "I can't ride on my pre-season numbers," MacLean said, perhaps aware that five goals and two assists were his 22-game regular-season totals when the Kings demoted him. "You never know what can happen." Sure enough, within an hour of the cuts came news of the Alexander Karpovtsev-Bryan McCabe trade. That means general manager/coach Pat Quinn has to make another move today to get down to the league's 23-man limit. But it's more likely a member of the eight-man defence will go ahead of one the 14 forwards, MacLean isn't resting easy. "I read every day that they might go with 12, 13 or 14 forwards, but we really don't know what (Quinn) will do," MacLean said. "Even if I'm here, it won't be long until Yanic (Perreault) and Nik (Antropov) get back from their knee injuries." Farkas wasn't far behind MacLean and Adam Mair in terms of having a hot camp, but the latter two were working as linemates and have an edge in size and toughness. "All the kids are knocking at the door," Quinn said. "But we have a fairly veteran roster." Quinn said the lines he used at practice yesterday were close to what the Leafs will go with for Saturday's opener against the Montreal Canadiens. That means, left to right, Jonas Hoglund, Mats Sundin and Steve Thomas on the first line, with Sergei Berezin, Igor Korolev and Garry Valk on the second. The other two lines -- Darcy Tucker, Dmitri Khristich and Gary Roberts, and Alyn McCauley, MacLean and Mair -- are not 100%. Tie Domi likely will be worked in and, depending on health, Shayne Corson. McCabe's arrival could change Quinn's thinking on reuniting defence partners Dmitry Yushkevich and Danny Markov. If McCabe gets the green light on offence, he might be paired with one of the Leafs' stay-at-home types, Gerald Diduck, Dave Manson or Cory Cross. Before the trade was announced, Quinn had Diduck with Tomas Kaberle and Manson with Petr Svoboda. Diduck was not claimed in last Friday's waiver draft and could be demoted today, though Quinn was adamant he wouldn't keep the 20-year-old Svoboda with the team unless he plays regularly.
Monday October 2 2000 Leafs trade Karpovtsev to Blackhawks
The Toronto Maple Leafs resolved their contract impasse with Alexander Karpovtsev on Monday. The Leafs dealt disgruntled Russian defenceman and a 2001 fourth-round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Bryan McCabe, a hard-hitting defenceman Toronto hopes can give all-star goaltender Curtis Joseph more breathing room. The move didn't surprise McCabe, who has heard his name mentioned in trade talks involving the two teams for the last month. "I figured it was just a matter of time," McCabe said during a conference call. "Something was going to happen. "I had a great time here (Chicago) but I'm very excited to be going to Toronto. The Leafs made some great acquisitions this summer getting (Shayne) Corson and (Gary) Roberts. And they probably have the best goalie in the game today in Curtis Joseph. I'm very excited to be coming to a playoff contender." Toronto becomes the fourth stop of McCabe's six-year pro career. The native of St. Catharines, Ont., was a second-round pick of the New York Islanders in 1993 and broke in with the NHL club in 1995 -96 before being dealt to Vancouver on Feb. 6, 1998. McCabe remained with the Canucks until being traded to Chicago prior to last season. McCabe was at a loss to explain the instability surrounding his career but admitted bouncing around might have curtailed his development. He's hoping now that he can call Toronto home for some time. "Defencemen take longer to mature and it's kind of tough to settle into something when you're changing systems every year and a half, going to a new team, adjusting to a new coach," he said. "It is a little different but I'm really happy to be coming to (Leafs coach-GM) Pat Quinn, who is a well-respected coach." McCabe expects to arrive in Toronto on Tuesday night and begin practising with the Leafs on Wednesday. The deal made Toronto younger on defence. The six-foot-two, 210-pound McCabe is only 25. The six-foot-three, 215-pound Karpovtsev is 30. Karpovtsev had been a no-show at training camp while his agent, the controversial Mark Gandler, and the Leafs haggled over a new contract. Karpovtsev had been working out with Moscow Dynamo of the Russian League but played his final game there Thursday. Had Karpovtsev continued playing with Dynamo beyond Wednesday, he would've had to be placed on waivers before he could return to the NHL. Gandler surprised the Leafs in late August when he called the team antagonistic and arrogant and suspended it from further negotiations. But Gandler resumed talks shortly afterwards. Karpovtsev made $1.8 million US last season and was reportedly seeking a multi-year deal worth $3.5 million annually. Gandler and the Leafs were reportedly only about $150,000 apart on a one-year deal that would've made Karpovtsev Toronto's highest paid defenceman. McCabe won his arbitration case this summer and is under contract for the upcoming season. Afterwards, he becomes a restricted free agent. Gandler is also the agent for Alexei Yashin, who refused to play for the Ottawa Senators last season. As well, Gandler represented Toronto defenceman Dmitry Yushkevich during last year's unpleasant contract negotiations. The deal reunites Karpovtsev with Chicago general manager Mike Smith, who was with the Leafs when they landed Karpovtsev from the New York Rangers in 1998. "We spent all of training camp trying to improve our defence without having to trade a defenceman that was already on our team," Smith said. "We decided to acquire Alexander Karpovtsev and in order to do that we had to give up Bryan McCabe."
Karpovtsev had three goals and 14 assists in 69 games last season with Toronto. He added three assists in 11 playoff games. In 405 career games, Karpovtsev has 27 goals and 114 assists.
McCabe was more of an offensive threat with Chicago, registering 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 79 games. In 394 career games, McCabe has 121 points (32 goals, 89 assists), which could make him a candidate to replace the injured Bryan Berard as the quarterback of the Leafs' power play. "I'm ready to jump in and roll," he said. "I'm the type of guy who loves to play the game and work hard every night. "I'd love to contribute and put some goals and points on the board and help the team win." Berard, whose career is in question after suffering an eye injury last season, is a close friend of McCabe's. The two were roommates while playing with the New York Islanders. McCabe has never played in an NHL playoff game, a drought he hopes to end with Toronto. "I've had a tough start to my career," he said. "I haven't had any playoff games so that's the biggest goal of mine, to get into the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup."
Monday October 2 2000 Talks with Potsie down to wire
The clock appears to be winding down in the Alexander Karpovtsev standoff, with a possible resolution coming as early as tomorrow.
Maple Leafs assistant to the president Bill Watters and Mark Gandler, Karpovtsev's agent, spoke several times yesterday and expect to continue talks early in the week. "I don't think (Karpovtsev) will be back," a source said last night. Watters was asked about the situation. "I'm not going to comment until the issue is resolved," Watters said last night. The Leafs are seeking to have the affair done with by the start of the season. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars meet in the NHL season opener Wednesday, while Toronto opens against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre.
In the minds of team officials, Karpovtsev has three options: Accept the Leafs offer; agree to terms with another team, which then would attempt to acquire his rights from Toronto; or remain in Russia and sit out the NHL season. With the Leafs defence having been suspect throughout the pre-season, trade speculation has heated up in the past six weeks. Names being bandied about include Chicago's Bryan McCabe, Vancouver's Adrian Aucoin, Phoenix's Jyrki Lumme and Los Angeles' Rob Blake.
Monday October 2 2000 Whose line is it? Roberts just wants to play
Gary Roberts has learned a lot during his 13-year NHL career.
And one of the most important lessons has been to never take things for granted. Roberts -- sporting seven stitches beside his right eye after being struck by an errant puck during Thursday's pre-season loss in Detroit against the Red Wings -- is not upset over the fact he probably won't skate on the Maple Leafs' top line when the regular season opens Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre against the Montreal Canadiens. "(Leafs general manager/coach) Pat Quinn never came to me and said, 'You're going to play on the first line,' " Roberts said before the Leafs' final pre-season game last night against the Red Wings at Copps Coliseum, a 3-2 victory. "At my age (34) and everything I have been through (a year and a half of temporary retirement because of a neck injury) I just hope I can contribute in any way." Quinn said on Saturday the Leafs' top line of a year ago -- captain Mats Sundin between Steve Thomas and Jonas Hoglund -- probably will be intact to begin the season. That trio was together last night. When the Leafs lured the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Roberts away from the Carolina Hurricanes on July 4 and signed him to a three-year, $8-million US contract, speculation was he would replace Hoglund on the top line and would thrive with Sundin and Thomas. Roberts, who had an assist last night, acknowledged he hasn't produced the type of offence he hoped for during the pre-season -- two assists in five games. "Sure, I'm not really pleased with how I have played in the exhibition," Roberts said. "And I don't like to say it doesn't mean anything, because it does. But my main goal was to come to camp and be ready for (the opener) Oct. 7 and be healthy. I know I have to pick up my game, but I don't think I will have any problems (once the season starts)." Getting accustomed to new teammates is taking time. "When we got Ron Francis (in the summer of 1998 as a free agent) in Carolina, we tried to get a feel for him and him for us," said Roberts, who skated on a line with Dmitri Khristich and Darcy Tucker last night. "It took him four months to really fit in. I don't think you can take any three guys together in a two-to-four day period and expect it to come together (quickly)." Roberts, who last year became the sixth player in NHL history to score 300 goals and amass 2,000 penalty minutes in a career, noted he doesn't know of many players who have started and stayed on the same line all year. "You always want to play with the top players, but we have a lot of good players here," he said. "I just want to be part of a really good team."
Sunday October 1 2000 Svoboda back in Toronto
Petr Svoboda wasn't in St. John's long enough to even spot a seagull before he was back on a plane to Toronto. Within a day of arriving at Toronto's farm team HQ, his anticipated home for part of this season, the young defenceman was recalled yesterday by the big club. "One afternoon ... it was nice," Svoboda said yesterday. General manager/coach Pat Quinn said part of the quick shuffle was planned so he could pay full heed to the Chris McAllister trade and showcase waiver draft defencemen Nathan Dempsey and D.J. Smith. But a string of errors by the defence throughout recent exhibition games and an elbow injury suffered by Gerald Diduck also prompted the call. "The reports (from Baby Leafs exhibition games in Quebec City and Sussex, N.B.) are that he was playing well," Quinn said. "There are other factors we are considering, but our defence hasn't been that good. Our defence also has to work with our forwards (who Quinn is miffed at for some missed assignments), but when you give up seven goals in a game, there are things you have to work on." With Diduck's injury not likely to keep him out of Saturday's season opener, the Leafs have nine defencemen in camp. Dmitry Yushkevich, Tomas Kaberle, Danny Markov and Dave Manson are in, but tonight's final tuneup in Hamilton will determine the pecking order for Diduck, Svoboda, Cory Cross, Smith and Dempsey. Two of that group will be cut by Tuesday. In dispatching Svoboda to the Rock earlier in the week, the thinking was not to waste a developmental year by having Svoboda sitting on the Leafs bench as the seventh defenceman. He, Dempsey and Smith were considered long shots when camp started, but with McAllister gone, Alexander Karpovtsev unsigned and the Leafs looking flat, Svoboda can get back in the picture.
"It creates opportunity for all three of those guys," Quinn said. "They may play well and eliminate the decision (on who survives)."