NEWS OF MAPLE LEAFS
Last Update:
Friday October 30, 1998 1:49PM EST
Friday October 30, 1998 Sitting Tremblay could play soon
Maple Leafs defenceman Yannick Tremblay is not on the verge of being demoted to the Baby Leafs.
Leafs associate general manager Michael Smith put Tremblay's mind at ease yesterday, telling the young defenceman he is in no danger of being sent to St. John's. "Sure we are concerned about a player his age not getting the playing time," Smith said. "But we're not sending him down. You never know when you are going to run into injury problems. "We'll find a way to get him into the lineup." Tremblay, who turns 23 on Nov. 15, lost his regular spot on the Leafs' six-man defence unit when Alexander Karpovtsev was acquired along with a fourth-round pick from the New York Rangers in exchange for Mathieu Schneider. After Daniil Markov returned from his mild concussion last Friday, Tremblay has been a healthy scratch for the past three games. "I still feel I would learn more being up here practising with the guys," Tremblay said. "The way I approach it is I have to work harder so I'm ready when they call for me." That call could come tonight. Leafs coach Pat Quinn said Tremblay might be shuffled into the lineup against Buffalo. A final decision will be made following the morning skate. Not playing can be frustrating for a young player because in most cases the coaching staff doesn't lay out a reason for the move or offer feedback. Tremblay hasn't been told anything by Quinn or his staff. But the former Beauport standout isn't whining. This frustrating experience is not new to Tremblay, who has been a plus-two in the five games he has played in this season. Last year, he sat for 13 of 14 games between Feb. 4 and March 16 before being demoted to St. John's. "I didn't approach it right last year," Tremblay said. "When I was sitting out I was always thinking of the consequences. "I have learned not to expect an explanation. It shouldn't change your game or the way you participate in practice. This time, I feel part of the team."
Wednesday October 28, 1998 Gardens ticket market heats up
You might think a Maple Leafs ticket stub for the Monday clunker against the Penguins wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on. But with only 24 games remaining at the Gardens, anything associated with the arena is a golden opportunity for collectors and hucksters. That's why people leaving the building this month were offered up to $10 for their stubs as long as the commemorative tickets, which feature the life and times of the Gardens, were in good condition. "Anything connected with the Gardens is worth a lot now," a ticket entrepreneur told The Toronto Sun. Scalper's Lane along Carlton St. from the College subway station has done a brisk business since the opener against Detroit. By the night of the Gardens finale Feb. 13 against the Blackhawks, bidding will have reached a frenzy.
$3,500 A PAIR?
"We've had calls from as far away as Sweden with people looking to come to that game," Tom Anselmi, project director for the Gardens and the Air Canada Centre, said. There will be no public sale of tickets for the game beyond the 13,000 held by season-ticket holders, as the Leafs allocate the remainder for special guests and alumni. One scalper predicted a pair of greens, normally priced at $43.50 each, will fetch $3,500. "It will be a very tough ticket, but there's nothing we can do about (scalping)," Brian Bellmore, board spokesman for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., said yesterday. "What people do with their tickets is entirely up to them." There are concerns even the alumni will be pressured to sell their tickets. "It will never happen," said Pat Boutette, the president of the alumni association. "If they don't want to be part of (it), they shouldn't accept the tickets."
Wednesday October 28, 1998 Smith refusing to let the cat out of the bag
As the hockey world knows by now, you can't hurry Maple Leafs associate general manager Mike Smith. And even though the New York Islanders offered captain Trevor Linden straight up for Felix Potvin during the final days of training camp and the one-for-one deal remains on the table, Smith is quite content to wait for a better offer. Or maybe Smith just doesn't want to break up his winning goaltender combination. His mighty Leafs improved to 5-1-1 following Potvin's stellar 30-save performance against the Penguins last night. Or just maybe Potvin's play will indeed fetch Smith's rather high asking price. "There is nothing going on," Smith said when addressing his least-favourite topic with reporters. However, earlier in the evening, Smith fell silent when asked if the Linden offer still was on the table. Smith has scouted the Islanders twice in the past two weeks. The heat to sweeten the pot was turned up on the Islanders when their goaltending allowed four late goals in a 5-4 win against Buffalo last night. A frustrated Potvin continues to soldier on.
"No matter what the situation you're in, you want to win," he said. "I have heard a lot of stuff in the past three months. You don't know what is true and what is not."
Thursday October 22, 1998 Triangle deal for Cat?
Mike Smith is on another scouting mission that has fuelled more Felix Potvin trade speculation.
The Maple Leafs associate general manager was on Long Island last night, scouting the Oilers-Islanders game. Smith denies he has talked to the Oilers and said there is nothing imminent on the Leafs trade front. But Smith's visit to Long Island sparked a Montreal-based whisper that the Leafs, Canadiens and Oilers were in the early stages of working out a three-way deal that would send goaltender Potvin to Montreal. Off the Oilers roster, Smith would be interested in troubled defenceman Boris Mironov, who has left the Oilers on their current trip and returned to Edmonton to attend to personal problems. "I would trade for (Mironov) in a heartbeat," Smith told The Edmonton Sun last night. The Oilers are looking to dump a salary or two after signing Doug Weight to a two-year, $7.8-million US contract on Monday. Canadiens general manager Rejean Houle told Montreal reporters he also planned to attend the Islanders game. He was asked if a trade was being worked on. "If there is anything going on, I can't talk about it," Houle said. "These are confidential matters."
Smith also was scouting a possible trade partner in the Islanders. Last week, he attended the Isles-Bruins game in Boston.
An overabundance of players usually brings about an exhorbitant amount of trade rumours. And right now the Edmonton Oilers are involved in the chatter. The latest talk has the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs discussing a three-way deal that would bring Felix Potvin to the Habs and Jocelyn Thibault to Edmonton. Montreal GM Rejean Houle was here last night talking to Slats, as was Mike Smith of the Leafs to add fuel to the fire. "If there's anything going on I can't talk about it," Houle told one source yesterday. "Those are confidential matters." Smith denied talking about Potvin with the Oilers last night, but when the discussion turned to the matters of Boris Mironov, he became intrigued. "We would be interested in him," offered Smith, though moving the popular Russian defenceman would seem highy unlikely right now with the Oilers assistant captain battling personal problems. But his contract is up this season and the possibility could very well exist. Why would the Oilers be looking for goaltending? "Glen Sather is not totally happy with his goaltending situation right now," said one eastern source, obviously discussing Bob Essensa as Mikhail Stalenkov has been a pleasant addition. A deal could be very imminent, confirmed one other source, who stated Smith rarely makes these scouting missions unless he is on the verge of pulling the trigger on a trade. The last time he travelled he ended up moving Mathieu Schneider to the Rangers. The Oilers would obviously have trouble paying a Potvin who is making $2.7 million-US this year, but Thibault can likely be had at $1.725M.
Wednesday October 21, 1998 Leafs forwards on trading block: Sullivan, Warriner
Rumours that the Maple Leafs were showcasing Steve Sullivan on Monday for a possible trade are not being denied. Fellow forward Todd Warriner also is on the block but he did little to prove his worth during a 2-2 draw with the Nashville Predators. "Yeah, they're both available," one Eastern Conference general manager confirmed yesterday. "But unless they're giving them away for sixth-round draft picks, we're not interested." A deal with Tampa Bay is another possibility although Lightning general manager Jacques Demers is more concerned about fixing his broken defence corps. "I've already talked to seven GMs," said Demers, whose club hasn't won a game since last March 30. "I want our fans to know we're not sitting back, thinking this is funny." A healthy scratch for the Leafs' first four games, Sullivan played 19 minutes 30 seconds against Nashville. Only forwards Mats Sundin, Mike Johnson and Alyn McCauley were used more.
Sunday October 18, 1998 Leafs send Eakins to IHL
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lent defenceman Dallas Eakins to the IHL's Chicago Wolves, the Wolves announced on Saturday. Eakins, who was signed by the Leafs as a free agent in July, has not played in any games for Toronto this season. He appeared in 23 games with the Florida Panthers last season, registering one assist. Eakins has played 80 NHL games with Winnipeg, Florida, St. Louis, Phoenix and the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old from Dade City, Fla., played junior hockey with the OHL's Peterborough Petes from 1984-88.
Saturday October 17, 1998 Karpovtsev days away
Sore-legged Alexander Karpovtsev is not ready to play for the Maple Leafs just yet, but Toronto is not claiming the Rangers shipped damaged goods. The defenceman made it no farther west from New York yesterday than a Toronto clinic, where he had his right knee examined. Karpovtsev was diagnosed with a bone bruise and the earliest he will suit up is Monday against Nashville at the Gardens. "He's day-to-day, that's all," associate general manager Mike Smith said last night at the Saddledome. "It was obvious in the game we watched Monday (Rangers against St. Louis) that he was hurt, but we protected ourselves in that New York has to keep paying him until he plays a game for us. Hopefully it's (Monday)."
AGGRAVATED
Karpovtsev was wounded in last Friday's Rangers' opener against the Flyers when he blocked a Dan McGillis drive. Karpovtsev sat out the next game, but played against the Blues -- coerced, in the opinion of Leafs coach Pat Quinn -- when the Rangers were short-handed on the blue line. That aggravated his condition. Smith brushed off talk around New York that Karpovtsev is something of a hypochondriac. A wrist injury sidelined him half of last year and eventually resulted in surgery. "I never heard that, but if it's coming out of the Rangers organization, I wouldn't think highly of them," Smith said.
Wednesday October 14, 1998 Schneider traded to Rangers
Mathieu Schneider joined the New York Rangers today in a swap of defencemen that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs get Alexander Karpovtsev and a fourth-round 1999 draft pick. Schneider was to skate with his new teammates today. On Tuesday night, Schneider and his agent, Steve Reich, were at Yankee Stadium to watch New York win the American League baseball pennant. Schneider, 29, missed Toronto's first two regular-season games -- the Leafs won both -- and all of training camp in a negotiating impasse. The restricted free agent had sought a pay increase to $3.25 million US from the $2.45 million he made last season, while the Leafs would not go over $2.8 million. Schneider scored 11 goals, assisted on 26, and had 44 minutes in penalties in 76 games in his ninth NHL season. Karpovtsev, 28, is in his fifth NHL season out of Moscow Dynamo. He had three goals and seven assists in 47 games last season, when injuries restricted his availability. He earned $1.45 million US. A 0-3 start to New York's season prompted Rangers GM Neil Smith to make a move. "Sports is played so much on confidence," Wayne Gretzky said after a 4-2 loss Monday night to the St. Louis Blues. "Some people refer to it as momentum. "Whatever it is, our team seems to be heading the other way." Schneider is expected to make his Rangers debut Friday against New Jersey at Madison Square Garden, pending finalization of contract terms. Karpovtsev flew west to hook up with the Leafs, who spent Wednesday and Thursday at a Banff, Alta., resort before their Friday night date in Calgary with the Flames.
Tuesday October 13, 1998 Cat stays cool
They're not fighting like dog and cat, but the big question in Toronto is: How many lives does Felix (The Cat) Potvin have? He's probably burned a few of them waiting around for his trade to occur, since giving up the No. 1 netminding job to Curtis (Cujo) Joseph. "I've been pretty good with it, but there's no doubt it's difficult in a way that the last three months they've been telling me they're going to trade me," said Potvin. "You don't know when it's going to happen or how long you're going to be here. You eventually know you're going to be out of here and that's the toughest part of it." In the meantime, the still-popular goaltender waits word on his future. "It would be nice to be settled in somewhere where I know I'm going to play for a while, rather than wait a while," he said. "It's always fun to know where you're going to be." The wait continues and the rumours swirl, which has to hurt the team the longer it goes on. "They've all been professional about it," said Leafs coach Pat Quinn. "It helps when you have good people involved because they do have an understanding and they're not so self-oriented that they can't see what the facts are. Hopefully something good will happen for all these people."
Monday October 12, 1998 Schneider going to New York?
If Dimitri Yushkevich has any input on the Maple Leafs trade front, he would endorse a deal that would send Mathieu Schneider to the New York Rangers for Alexander Karpovtsev in a swap of defencemen. The New York Daily News reported during the weekend that such a deal could happen as early as tomorrow. Yushkevich and Karpovtsev were teammates with Moscow Dynamo and were defence partners at the 1990 world championship when Russia captured the silver medal behind Canada's gold. "He probably would have played with us on the Russian Olympic team (last February) but he needed surgery on his wrist," Yushkevich said. "He's a good two-way defenceman who can play on the power play. "He shoots the puck very well. I think he would be good for this team." Yushkevich no doubt would make the trade one-for-one. But league experts polled yesterday felt the Leafs should get more in return for Schneider, 29, who formally requested a trade last week after rejecting the Leafs' one-year $2.75-million US offer. The offensive-minded Schneider is trying to fetch a contract worth $3.25 million a season. "Who else do the Leafs get?" a rival general manager asked. "Karpovtsev has potential. But he has been a big frustration for the Rangers." Karpovtsev, a 28-year-old, sixth-year NHLer who will make $1.8 million this year, was at his best two seasons ago when he collected nine goals and 38 points. Schneider's peak season was a 52-point effort with Montreal in 1993-94. The Carolina Hurricanes also are interested in Schneider and have offered defenceman Steve Chiasson and winger Nelson Emerson in return. The Leafs would want Curtis Leschyshyn and a prospect but that option isn't available.
Monday October 12, 1998 CuJo returns to Edmonton
Cujo vs. the Russian Wolfhound? That will probably be the storyline tomorrow evening when former Oiler Curtis Joseph makes his much-anticipated return to Edmonton as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The original script had Joseph duelling with his former backup Bob Essensa, but a sprained ankle nipped those plans in the bud. Essensa injured himself late in the first period of Saturday's home opener against Los Angeles. Mikhail Shtalenkov, who came out of the bullpen and stopped 24 of 25 shots, gets the start against Toronto. "It was a shot that was deflected and I kind of double-clutched on it,'' said Essensa, who figures the damage was done with about seven minutes to go in the first period. "It was really painful to butterfly. '`The pain would go away until I tried to butterfly. We evaluated it after the first period and decided to take me out. Coulda gone
"Had it been a Game 7 of the playoffs we could have shot it up and played on, but being the first game of the season we didn't want to aggravate it and turn it into a couple of weeks type of thing.'' It's bad enough sitting out one game against Toronto.
"For whatever reason we always get up for the big six teams, and
certainly with Cujo making his first appearance back here in Edmonton that's another factor that plays into things,'' said Essensa. "So sure, you look forward to those types of games.
"I'm just glad it was a day-to-day thing and I'll be back in the lineup before I know it.'' The Oilers will see how Essensa feels today before making a call to Hamilton for a backup. "We're going to try taping it and see what happens,'' said head coach Ron Low.
"If he can't get back up off the ice with the tape on it then we'll be sending a call to the minors in the afternoon.''
Normally, when the starter can't go, there's an element of concern. Shtalenkov took care of that Saturday night against Los Angeles. "It was kind of a rude way to step into things, the second period of opening night,'' said Low. "We likely dispelled any fears we had (about backup netminding) right off the bat. I thought he played super.'' They were working on both ends of Boyd Devereaux yesterday - the training staff iced his ankle while GM Glen Sather bent his ear. With Devereaux and defenceman Marty McSorley both on the limp with bruised ankles, Sather had plenty of new ammunition for one of his pet causes. Ankle guards. Slats has been preaching the benefits of ankle guards for many years,
saying the added protection more than makes up for the goofy
appearance, but the sermons always have fallen on deaf ears.
Keeps trying He still keeps trying. "He was kind of suggesting them back in the training room,'' shrugged Devereaux, who took a Rob Blake slapshot on the front of his ankle late in the third period. "I don't know, we might try and rig something up. You're blocking a lot of shots when you're penalty killing. So it might be a smart idea. '`But they do look pretty stupid. We'll have to see.'' Up until he banged up his wheel, Devereaux was probably the best Oiler forward. "I thought their line was our best line,'' said Low. "I take that back, if (Pat) Falloon, (Todd) Marchant and (Dean) McAmmond would have scored on their chances they would have been our best line. But I thought Boyd's line was outstanding.'' Devereaux, Kelly Buchberger and Kevin Brown combined for Edmonton's only goal. It was the result of some relentless forechecking. "They adhered to the game plan better than anybody,'' said Low. "They got the puck deep on almost all instances and once they got it in they created something by forcing. And they really did, they forced like crazy.''
Saturday October 10, 1998 Leafs win final Gardens opener
Sophomore centre Alyn McCauley scored late in the second period and the Toronto Maple Leafs withstood three Detroit power plays in the third period to hand the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings a 2-1 defeat in NHL action Saturday night. Sergei Berezin also scored for the Leafs, who were playing their 68th and final home opener at Maple Leaf Gardens. Larry Murphy replied for the Red Wings, who went 1-for-7 on with the extra man. Goaltender Curtis Joseph, signed in the off-season to a four-year $24 million US deal, was spectacular in his Leafs debut, stopping 38 shots -- includng 15 in the third. Chris Osgood also looked sharp in goal for Detroit with 25 saves. The Leafs, a league-best 6-2-1 in pre-season, were hoping their winning ways would carry into the regular season and they did. Toronto, much improved under new coach Pat Quinn, displayed a tremendous work ethic, going punch for punch with the heavyweights from Detroit. A rare offensive display from tough guy Tie Domi helped the Leafs take a 2-1 lead with less than five minutes left in the second. Domi, reaching, threaded a nice pass behind the Wings defence in the right slot to McCauley, who, like his junior days in Ottawa, lifted a perfect wristshot in the top
right corner past Ogood's outstretched glove. Domi later ran into Darren McCarty's left fist during a fight after the Leafs' pugilist bodychecked Wings captain Steve Yzerman into the boards.
Murphy, the former Leaf that fans loved to hate here, opened the scoring on the power play 7:10 into the first, slapping home a rebound from a severe angle past a sprawled Joseph. The Leafs tied it 1-1 with 27 seconds left in the first when Berezin pounced on a giveaway by Osgood in front the Wings net. The Russian right-winger rifled a low shot through Osgood's five-hole. Moments earlier, the Leafs hit a post and Berezin was robbed on the rebound by Osgood's quick glove during an 18-second five-on-three power play.
Friday October 9, 1998 Schneider snubs latest Leafs offer
The Maple Leafs and Mathieu Schneider have butted heads for what could be the final bargaining session between the parties. The Leafs offered Schneider a deal, believed to be in the neighbourhood of $2.75 million US on Wednesday, but the veteran NHL defenceman rebuffed it. Schneider, 29, has been seeking a deal worth about $3.25 million a year. "It's apparent to us that on the heels of their initial offer ($2.5 million, the same salary Schneider earned last season), this is too little, too late," Schneider's agent Steve Reich said. "It has become obvious to us that Mathieu is going to be traded." It appears Schneider rather would wait for a trade than accept a low-ball offer from Toronto. The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers have been the most active pursuers of Schneider on the trade front. Although, Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said last week he no longer is interested in Schneider, it is believed his club still will pursue the native of New York.
Friday October 9, 1998 Healy becomes odd man out
When Glenn Healy arrived at the Gardens yesterday morning he was told he was being thrown to the Wolves, forcing him to make one of the toughest decisions of his NHL career. On one hand, the goaltender has a $1.2-million US salary but a demotion to the Chicago Wolves of the IHL. On the other hand, he could stay at home. It's not an easy decision if you're Healy. He has 13 NHL seasons and a Stanley Cup championship under his belt and would have to leave his family for an extended period should he choose to report to the Windy City. The veteran goalie wasn't happy about the news. So he asked Maple Leafs management for two days to contemplate his next move. "He has two options," Leafs associate general manager Mike Smith said yesterday. "He can go to Chicago or not go to Chicago. It's an uncomfortable situation, I know. But we talked to Glenn before training camp. He knew something like this was a possibility. "Unless another situation arises, there aren't any other options for Glenn." The only situation that could arise is for Smith to trade goalie Felix Potvin, creating an opening with the Leafs for Healy. But trade talks these days have been as active as an NBA player. When reached at home last night, Healy said he would announce his decision today. The colorful Healy left the Gardens before practice began. He was, however, more vocal earlier in the week. "It's a precarious situation," Healy said on Wednesday. "Some people think it would be good to face minor-league shooting and some feel it would be a big waste of time." If Healy decides it's a big waste of time and doesn't report to Chicago, he would be suspended by the Leafs without pay. "I prefer not to talk about that," Smith said. Healy wasn't the only chop Smith and the coaching staff made to trim the roster to 24 players. Smith, however, refused to release the names of the final cuts. He said that because of an afternoon team function, these players could not reached for face-to-face meetings. With Healy out in the cold, the Leafs had to cut at least two more players, unless they elected to put both Dimitri Yushkevich (hairline fracture in his forehead) and Adam Mair (concussion) on the injured list. The cuts were to come from a group that included forwards Todd Warriner, Steve Sullivan, Lonny Bohonos and Mair and defenceman Kevin Dahl.
Wednesday October 7, 1998 Isles score deal with Linden
Trevor Linden, rumoured to be Toronto-bound in a deal for goaltender Felix Potvin, yesterday agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Islanders. Despite their lease battle with the Nassau Coliseum and speculation they would dump players such as Linden to devalue the franchise, the Islanders gave the 28-year-old forward a one-year deal at $2.5 million US. He also will get a $250,000 bonus if he gets 30 goals. Last month, the Group 2 free agent was part of trade talks between the Leafs and Isles. Leafs associate general manager Mike Smith refused to say if the signing might renew talks. Linden had been seeking about $3 million, but this gives him the chance to jump elsewhere after next season. Linden hopes to play Saturday when the Isles are home to Pittsburgh.
Wednesday October 7, 1998 Leafs sign Valk, Featherstone
Instead of shedding players, the Maple Leafs yesterday signed a pair, rewarding training camp walk-ons Glen Featherstone and Garry Valk with new contracts. Featherstone, a journeyman defenceman, and Valk, a pesky left winger, had been offered tryouts after failing to land big-league deals. Featherstone, 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, played for Indianapolis of the International Hockey League last season. Valk appeared in 39 games with Pittsburgh, but was hampered by a double-hernia operation. Valk played three seasons under Leafs coach Pat Quinn in Vancouver.
Tuesday October 6, 1998 Peddie named to top post at Maple Leaf Sports
Richard Peddie, who spearheaded the Toronto Maple Leafs takeover of the NBA's Toronto Raptors -- as well as the construction of the teams' new arena -- was named president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment on Tuesday. Peddie was president of the Raptors when the Leafs bought the team and its under-construction arena earlier this year. Peddie, a former president of SkyDome and NetStar Communications (TSN, the Discovery Channel), was named interim president of the organizations after the purchase.
"Richard has done a great job of bringing the Raptors and Air Canada Centre into the fold with Maple Leaf Gardens and the Leafs, and is the ideal person to lead us into what we feel will be the most exciting period of our history," Maple Leafs chairman Steve Stavro said in a statement Tuesday. The Air Canada Centre is scheduled to open next February.
Tuesday October 6, 1998 Cat going for walk?
(Con't from Oct 1-6)
It's also clear that the club is no closer to trading Potvin than it was a month ago. Only three teams -- Vancouver, the New York Islanders and Ottawa -- are concerned about their goaltending and the Isles' and Senators' interest in Potvin is considered soft. Leafs president and general manager Ken Dryden last night applauded Potvin for the way he has handled a difficult situation and hoped he would remain with the team. "Felix has been very, very strong in this," Dryden said. "What Felix has demonstrated is that kind of ability to see this through and he has only enhanced his reputation as someone capable of handling all kinds
of difficult situations. "He has handled this extremely well, so I certainly understand the feelings he has and I also expect he has strong feelings (about sticking it out here)." Dryden didn't think Potvin's departure would speed up trade possibilities, either. "The more he is actively involved, the less that inactivity becomes a factor for another team," Dryden said.