Hi all and welcome to the sixth edition of the Penalty Box. The trade deadline
has come and gone and it remains to be seen whether or not the top teams made
the right moves to put them over the top.
CONTENTS:
1. FORWARD OF THE WEEK
2. DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
3. GOALIE OF THE WEEK
4. GOON OF THE WEEK
5. TRADE DEADLIEN REVIEW
6. NEWS AND RUMOURS
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1. FORWARD OF THE WEEK
#1 STAR: Eric Lindros (Crunch):
6 gls. 10 asts. 16 pts. 8 gms.
Lindy was the big gun of the week. Lindy averaged two points a game for the
Crunch with a couple big games. He had four assists in a 7-2 whooping of the
Knights and had two goals and two assists in a 7-2 whooping of the Goal Busters.
#2 STAR: Kevin Brown (Hacksaws):
9 gls. 2 asts. 11 pts. 7 gms.
Kevin was a big surprise to this writer as well as to his team. With only twenty
goals total this season he had just about half in these seven games. He exploded
with one of the biggest offensive outputs of the season with a five goal barage
in a 7-2 win over the Wave Runners.
#3 STAR: Jason Arnott (Winter Hawks):
9 gls. 6 asts. 15 pts. 10 gms.
Jason was a steady performer with the Winter Hawks and helped them beat some
very good teams, the Voodoo, Dragons, Goal Busters and the Force. Jason had a
goal and two assists in a 5-1 win over the Jugheads as well as a two goal and an
assist in a 3-2 win over the Dogs.
Here is the updated standings:
Eric Lindros (Crunch) 9 points $75,000
Keith Primeau (Freeze) 4 points $30,000
Mike Modano (Terriers) 3 points $25,000
Pavel Bure (Hitmen) 3 points $25,000
Pierre Turgeon (Hitmen) 3 points $25,000
Tony Amonte (Freeze) 2 points $15,000
Kevin Brown (Hacksaws) 2 points $15,000
Petr Sykora (Winter Hawks) 2 points $15,000
Teemu Selanne (Voodoo) 2 points $15,000
Brendan Shanahan (Pylons) 2 points $15,000
Jason Arnott (Winter Hawks) 1 point $ 7,500
Robert Reichel (Force) 1 point $ 7,500
Petr Nedved (Knights) 1 point $ 7,500
Randy McKay (Force) 1 point $ 7,500
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2. DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
#1 STAR: Calle Johansson (Crunch):
1 gl. 7 asts. 8 pts. 11 gms. + 9
Calle, along with Lindy and Ray Bourque was a big reason why the Crunch 8-1-1 in
their last ten games. Calle was excellent with two assists and a +3 in a 7-2 win
over the Knights.
#2 STAR: Ray Bourque (Crunch):
1 gl. 8 asts. 9 pts. 11 gms. + 7
Ray is as steady as they come and still has a few years left if he really wants
to keep playing. He may have lost a step but it is sure hard to tell where he
lost it at. Ray had three assists and a +2 in a key 5-4 victory over the Slash.
#3 STAR: Brian Leetch (Goal Busters):
0 gl. 7 asts. 7 pts. 10 gms. + 8
Brian pitched in very effectively when his team needed him. He didn't have one
real big game but was there when called upon in every game. He did have an
assist and a +4 in a 8-0 clubbing of the Slash.
Here is the up-to-date standings:
Al MacInnis (Hitmen) 5 points $40,000
Calle Johansson (Crunch) 3 points $25,000
Paul Laus (Freeze) 3 points $25,000
Kenny Jonsson (Winter Hawks) 3 points $25,000
Bill Houlder (Slash) 3 points $25,000
Adrian Aucoin (Voodoo) 3 points $25,000
Brian Leetch (Goal Busters 3 points $22,500
Ray Bourque (Crunch) 2 points $15,000
Robert Svehla (Force) 2 points $15,000
Rob Blake (Meatheads) 2 points $15,000
Derian Hatcher (Freeze) 2 points $15,000
Nick Lidstrom (Terriers) 1 point $ 7,500
Alex Karpovtsev (Winter Hawks)1 point $ 7,500
Derek Morris (Winter Hawks) 1 point $ 7,500
Igor Kravchuk (Dragons) 1 point $ 7,500
Jason Woolley (Stormers) 1 point $ 7,500
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3. GOALIE OF THE WEEK
#1 STAR: Steve Shields (Winter Hawks):
7-2-1 1.89 GAA .936 Save % 29.7 S/GM 2 SO
Steve took the honors last week and is back again this week with some great
goaltending including back to back games where he shut out the Meatheads (3-0,
32 saves) and the Force (1-0, 22 saves).
#2 STAR: Guy Hebert (Terriers):
5-2-3 1.50 GAA .930 Save % 21.3 S/GM 4 SO
An impressive week for Guy who probably could have taken the number one spot but
when one of your shutouts is only a FIVE!!! and yes that is correct a five save
performance against the Wildcards, I'm thinking just about anybody could have
done that. He did have a 33 save performance against the Pylons in which he won
1-0.
#3 STAR: Tommy Salo (Pylons):
4-4-2 2.36 GAA .916 Save % 28.2 S/GM
All three of these goalies were one, two, three last week as well. Tommy didn't
perform quite up to what he had down last edition but was solid nonetheless. He
had a phenominal game against the Terriers where he stopped 37 shots en route to
a 2-2 tie.
Here is the updated standings:
Steve Shields (Winter Hawks) 7 points $57,500
Dominick Hasek (Dragons) 5 points $37,500
Roman Turek (Stormers) 4 points $32,500
Guy Hebert (Terriers) 4 points $30,000
Mike Richter (Force) 3 points $25,000
John Vanbiesbrouck (Hacksaws) 3 points $25,000
Tomas Vokoun (Force) 3 points $25,000
Dominic Roussel (Sea Lions) 2 points $15,000
Byron Dafoe (Voodoo) 2 points $15,000
Tommy Salo (Pylons) 2 points $15,000
Terriers 3some (Terriers) 1 point $ 7,500
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4. GOON OF THE WEEK
#1 GOON: Tony Twist (Stormers):
44 PIM's in 11 games 0-1-1
Twister is one of two Stormers to make the grade this week. Of course, they
might as well because the Stormers weren't doing anything else. Tony had a two
games in which he amassed 15 PIM's. In a 4-2 win over the Freeze he lost to
Louie Debrusk and in a 4-2 loss to the Force he went to a draw with Marc
Bergevin.
#2 GOON: Dennis Gauthier (Knights):
40 PIM's in 11 games 1-1-2
Dennis lost it in one game when he was beaten in a fight early in the game by
Doug Zmolek he then came back to battle to a draw with him later in the contest.
He ended up with 14 PIM's in the 3-1 loss.
#3 GOON: Bryan McCabe (Stormers):
37 PIM's in 11 games 1-1-0
During the same loss to the Force (4-2) in which Twister had his fight Bryan
took on Kelly Buchberger a couple of times and nobody came out ahead as the each
got a decision and a loss. Bryan ended up with 12 PIM's during the contest.
Here is the updated standings:
Paul Laus (Freeze) 13 points $105,000
Bob Probert (Freeze) 5 points $40,000
Tony Twist (Stormers) 3 points $25,000
Gino Odjick (Force) 3 points $25,000
Brendan Shanahan (Pylons) 3 points $22,500
Dennis Gauthier (Knights) 2 points $15,000
Owen Nolan (Crunch) 2 points $15,000
Rob Blake (Meatheads) 2 points $15,000
Bryan McCabe (Stormers) 1 point $ 7,500
Bill Guerin (Goal Busters) 1 point $ 7,500
Kelly Chase (Stormers) 1 point $ 7,500
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5. TRADE DEADLINE REVIEW
YESTERDAY...TODAY...TOMORROW...
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As the trade deadline as come and gone, and there are less then 20
days left in the WLUHL, it is time to look back and see what has
happened this year to certian teams, what this seasons has brought
them... or hasn't...
The KITCHENER TERRIERS:
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After having a history of literally bombing out when it comes
playoff time, the Terriers put together a streak last year that
sent them to the Canadian Conference Finals. However, there, in the
finals the team lost to the SLaSH. This season, the Terriers stepped
away from their philosophy to simply putting the best players on the
ice and seeing what they can do, into a defensive team, having the
4th best Goal Against record in the league.
The question is whether or not the Terriers have what it takes to
build on last season? The Terriers currently sit first in their
division and with the mid season acquistions of Brett Hull, who some
have claimed will take them to the cup, as well as center Ronnie Francis,
many people feel that the Terriers are once again ready to march through
the playoffs.
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The WATERLOO HITMEN:
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Last season was the fall from heaven for the Waterloo Hitmen. After
being one of the top teams in the league each and every year, the Hitmen
fell hard finding themselves out of the Playoffs for the first time in the
team's history. With that, the team made some major overhauls in the off
season, bringing in Sergei Gonchar, Yanick Perreault and Mikael Renberg.
As well, the team loaded up for the future with the drafting of the Sedin
twins, Bryan Allen, Paul Mara and Eric Chinouard.
As the season began, the Hitmen began to put together another miserable
season, with the team sitting as the 3rd worst team after 30 days. The Hitmen
quickly looked to change things up pulling off a deal bringing Martin
Rucinsky back to the Hitmen. However, that wasn't enough and the Hitmen then
pulled off a blockbuster bringing in the Russian Rocket. With that, the
Hitmen went on to an unbelievable run, grabbing the top spot in the
Canadian Conference for a few weeks before once again falling. With that,
the Hitmen found themselves at the trading deadline and after looking at
the present and the future, the Hitmen found themselves dealing away the
future bringing in Alexei Zhamnov, Phil Housley, Alexander Daigle and
Chris Chelios. With that being said, despite what some reporters have said
that the Hitmen are weak on the wings and have no hope in the playoffs,
the Hitmen have in my mind strengthened their team better then anyone else
and I would not be surprised if they went all the way this year.
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THE HALIFAX FORCE:
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The phrase which we should be using should be... MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
That's right! This team uses the phrase that pays folks! Last year the Force
where a mediocore team, playing some good hockey. But this year, the Force
are a team that is in your face kicking your a** each and every night! The Force
had been hit hard with a number of injuries this year, but that didn't stop
them for putting out 100% each and every night. The Force had relied heavily
on Zigmund Pallfy, Randy McKay and the goaltender tandem of Mike Richter and
Tomas Voukoun to hold this team together. But, when you get down to the nitty
gritty, what we see is a team that actually plays like one... each and every
line!
As the trade deadline came, the winds blew hard in Halifax and we saw the
tide come in and wash some names away... but what it left behind was one hell
of a package! The Force pulled off some major deals sending the likes of Palffy
and youngster Alex Tanguay out to sea, and watched as Vincent Damphousse and
Jaromir Jagr rolled in! With that being said, the Force have, at least in
our eyes, been the team which bulked up the most for the playoffs. With the
addition of Jagr to this lineup, we are guarenteed that the fans in Halifax
are gonna be standing up and cheering a lot more! Does the Force have what it
takes to knock of the prennial favorites in the Hitmen, Terriers and Crunch?
Well, with Damphousse and Jagr in the fold now and with the Force playing great
under the direction of head coach Gerald Mayo, we really think that there is
a good chance of that!
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The HALIFAX HACKSAWS:
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Usually people only look at those teams that are setting themselves up for
the playoffs, but come on folks... we have to give credit where credit is due!
The Halifax Hacksaws where the laughing stock of the WLUHL last year and with
it's what, $10 million or whatever it was debt that they were in, everyone
figured that that Hacksaws were all set to fold this year! However, what we
saw was a total turn around of the team's fortune! After making some deals to
bring in some big cash, the team worked hard and at the midway mark of the
season
they were in the playoffs and they were something to be scared off!
However, as the season continued to roll on, we saw the like of Martin
Rucinsky, Todd Bertuzzi and Ron Francis being shipped out of Halifax and in
return the team got youth. Many people around the league could not figure out
why a team with suck a sad season previous to this would look to do that, but
what this did was set the team up better for play in two seasons time. With
that,
the team began to see it's losses column increase, but as that did, the debt
began
to decrease to a point where the Hacksaws will be in the black this season. As
well, the fans in Halifax know that in a few seasons, this team will be giving
them something to cheer about!
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The CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS
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Yeah, that's right, the California WHO? You got, the Sea Lions, an
expansion team are battling for the top spot in the California Division.
It doesn't matter the teams record, what matters is that this team, an
expansion team is ready to take the top spot in their division and be
seeded 3rd overall come playoffs in the American Conference. If this can
be done, this will be the highest finishing spot for an Expansion team
ever in the WLUHL.
Sure, the Sea Lions on riding high on the backs for superstar
Peter Forsberg and goalie Dominic Roussell, but come on folks, it takes
a lot more then just two players to be able to keep this team winning!
Like the Force in the Canadian Conference (okay, they don't have as much
talent, but besides that point) they are playing together as a unit.
Coach Farley has this team playing solid hockey each and every night. They
have shown that they can play with the big boys at times too. Even though
they are not a rich and deep organization, the early success of this team
has a lot of people wondering just how far can they ride their early success?
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The CHICAGO WINTER HAWKS
-------------------------
Well folks, don't let the name change fool you at all! The Ice Hawk as
what they were known before, and the Winter Hawks as what they are known now
are playing the same damn hockey... and that is winning games! The Hawks are
once again one of the top teams in the American Conference and guess what folks,
they are the team that many people are betting on to step in the WLUHL final!
The Hawks are the 2nd best team on the ice, and on paper, it can be argued that
they are THE best team!
Unlike many of the playoff super powers, the Hawks did not really pull off
any big deals. The Hawks brought in some good 2nd and 3rd liners, but they
did not bring in that extra superstar which would finish the deal off and bring
the cup back to Chicago, a city which has been waiting for the return of the
cup since the Chicago Outsiders won it many seasons ago. The question is
though,
with a superb forward grouping of Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, Slava Kozlov,
Keith Tkachuk and Mats Sundin, why would the Hawks need to pull any deals off
and
threaten to tamper with their chemistry? The Hawks are a damn good team and with
their fire power, and with the amazing goaltending which they have been
receiving
this year from Steve Shields this team is set to make their mark on the WLUHL.
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The DIXIE BLACKENED VOODOO
--------------------------
The question which we ask all of you is... how many years has the Voodoo
been in the WLUHL? This is a team which has made an impact on the league
making itself look like it has been around since the league's original days.
However, that sure is not the case! The Voodoo turned a lot of heads last
season when it finished 3rd in the American Conference, behind only the
WLUHL Cup Champions (or what some call The Stumpy Cup) the St. George Dragons
and the powerhouse the Chicago Ice Hawks. From there, every waited for the
bubble to burst for the Voodoo but it did not! Instead, the Voodoo fired
back putting together an even better season this year!
What we have seen this year is that the Voodoo brought in players like
Adam Graves, Joey Nieuwendyk, Eric Messier, Trevor Linden and Chris Therien.
Combine those players with a core that already bosted Teemu Selanne,
Shawn McEachren, Adrian Aucoin, Larry Murphy and goaltender "Sir Byron"
Dafoe, and it is no wonder why this team has been so dominant this season!
The Voodoo have been no doubt one of the, if not the top team all year
long and there is no reason why this team can't continue to do it right
through the playoffs. Do they have what it takes? OH HELL YEAH! Can you see
anyone being able to stop them? OH HELL NO! The Voodoo to simply put it,
have one hell of a team! They have the total package here folks and they
are destined to win it all... and if they don't... then there is something
wrong!
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The SIERRA SPIDERS
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This not so well known team is poised to take the #1 spot away from
the Sea Lions in the California Division and ready to make it's mark in
the WLUHL. A team that many people know little about, the Spiders have
slowly over the past couple years built this franchise into a playoff
contender. This team does not boast many star players, but together
they play as a team and they have been able to turn themselves into a
playoff threat! Last year the Spiders were forced to face the Dragons
in the first round of playoffs. They lost, but they lost fo the WLUHL
Cup Champions!
This year the Spiders look stronger and much more hungry for the
win! The Spiders know what it takes to win and they are ready and willing
to go that extra step to make it happen. The Spiders did not really get
involved in the trade deadline dealings. They did send defenceman Chris
Chelios to the Hitmen for defender Kevin Hatcher, but besides that, the
Spiders are looking at going into the playoffs with the same crew they
had all season long. The question arises as to whether or not they can
compete with the big boys like the Hawks or the Voodoo, and we have to say
yes! On any given night the Spiders can win, it is just a matter of
whether the team will show up with it's "A" game face on, or if it will
show up with it's "C" game face on!
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6. NEWS AND RUMOURS
ICE BARONS:
The trading deadline came and went without much activity at Ice
Barons HQ. There were a few proposals made that AGM Bassinger quickly
dismissed. She stated, "we got the right boys now and they will take us
into the playoffs. No sense making some stupid deal just to make one."
GM Lomax just returned from his 'scouting' visit to the Northwest
Territory. Apparently he had alot to tell Ms. Bassinger as they have
been in conference all day. Yea right!
After a mini-slump, the IBs seem to have righted the ship with
victories over the Spiderwebs and the Ice Dolts. The IBs have a pretty
good hold on second in their division and are fighting for home ice in
the first round. With 9 goals in two games, their scoring slump seems
to be over as well (much the same can be said about GM Lomax's scoring
slump!). Mark Fitzpatrick has seen some action lately and is a
respectable 2-1-2 in recent weeks. This allows Arturs Irbe some rest
for the playoff run.
MEATHEADS:
The race for the final 2 playoff spots in the Canadian confrence has come
down to a three team race, The Pylons after a week long scouting trip to
Florida have turned it on and have gone from 7 points out of the playoffs
to 7th in the confrence. The other two teams fighting with the Pylons for
the 7th and 8th playoff spots are the Knights, and the Meatheads. The
The Meatheads which few expected to be in a playoff hunt this year
considering that the last few seasons have been stocking up on old players
taking runs at the cup and is finally showing in the lack of good skilled
youth. The play of Tugnutt, Blake, Smehlik, Kariya, Gretzky, Kapenan and
sometimes Roenick have helped keep the Meatheads in the playoff
hunt. Recent back to back losses to the powerhouse Hacksaws were a huge
blow to the Meatheads playoff chances as well as injuries to Krupp,
Smehlik and Rob Blake, the Meatheads 3 best defencemen. The Meatheads
defence has been playing over their heads this season trying to keep the
team in games and the fatigue might just be wearing them down. Hopefully
with Blake healthy again and with Smehlik coming back very soon we are
hoping to step up the defence, play 110%, get a few good breaks (which
haven't been going our way this season), play some good hockey and hope to
squeeze into the postseason.
STORMERS:
After starting out as the hottest team in the WLUHL the Stormers fell into a
slump which they have yet to fall out of. The Stormers made just one move prior
to the trade deadline in which to hopefully shake up there team as well as give
them some strength for the future. The Stormers traded Doug Gilmour, Wendel
Clark and Jason Woolley to the Crunch for Igor Koralev, Alexei Kovalev, Andres
Ericksson, Jamie Heward and the Jugheads third round draft pick. Not much
changed after the trade as the Stormers didn't fare any better but hopefully the
team will gel enough by playoff time to get back to where they were at the start
of the season.
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That's all for this edition. I would like to thank everyone who takes the time
to send in nominations and a special thanks to Jason Stumpf who gives that
little extra to the paper with his interviews, quotes that he brings to the
paper.
Jason Kolsrud
ICQ #4680899
http://www.clinton.net/~jkolsrud
jkolsrud@clinton.net
GM Sioux City Stormers WLUHL
GM Des Moines Dominators WHL
GM Dubuque Dominators WFHL
GM Anaheim Mighty Ducks MFHL
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