OffSides (The Official Magazine of the WHL) ------------------------------------------------------------ Editor's Note ----------------- Just a quick word to thank Marc, Chris and Chris for their team articles this week. The trade deadline is drawing near and the Rocky Mountain Express made a big move, acquiring Patrick Marleau. The Edmonton Vikings are slipping back to the pack in the Western Conference and looking more like also-rans every game. Team News ---------------- Chicoutimi Sparrows ------------------- Chicoutimi(Qc) - Right after the win against Mississauga tonight, the Sparrows announced that they had concluded 2 trades. The first one sent seldom used rookie defenseman Dan Smith to Hartford for a 5th round draft pick. "Dan has the potential to become a solid defenseman in the WHL," said GM Michael Hebert, "but we needed to make some room on our roster. We wish him the best of luck in Hartford." Smith, the Sparrows' 4th round draft pick in the last entry draft, will be joining the Broncos in Gibbons. The second trade is more significant. Sparrows sent their WHL4 first round draft pick, prospect Ramzi Abid, to Halifax, along with minor leaguer Jean-Yves Leroux and a 3rd round draft pick, in exchange for defenseman Robert Svehla, and minor leaguers Antti Aalto and Yuri Khmylev. Here are a few comments: GM Hebert: We first wanted Yuri to help the Farmers in their championship run in the WFHL. Then we got talking about some other possibilities, and the name of Abid came up. Now it wasn't our intention at all to move him, but when we found out we had the chance to get our hands on such a solid defenseman as Robert Svehla, we had to consider it seriously. We have an aging defense. Ledyard has indicated it is likely his last season, and Norton is not playing like he used to. Cote is still very much an all-star defenseman, but is not young. So we got Svehla, who is at his prime, to trhow in the mix and help our youngsters who will take over in the next few years... Ramzi Abid: After the game, GM Hebert had me come up in his office. I had no idea what it was about, a trade was the last thing I would have expected. The organization had always repeated that I was not available and was in the team's plans. And I was playing my best hockey ever, I had 3 assists against the Raiders, and just scored the game winning goal against the Vipers a couple hours ago. This pretty much sucks... Khmylev and Aalto should be in uniform Tuesday night for the Farmers, while Svehla will play his first game in a Sparrows jersey Thursday against the Corinthians. Hartford Dropkicks -------------------------- Hartford- Dropkicks fans are gearing up for the playoffs, set to have home ice advantage for at very least the first round. The talk around the pubs, however, is not as optimistic as one might think for a team with a GM as strikingly handsome as Chris Kordyback... "They need a second line RWer that will score every few nights...," said one fan, "not like Golbez who last scored back when the Avalanche were the Nordiques. Ever since they traded Petr Sykora they've struggled." When asked if anything was in progress, Kordyback chuckled. "I made a half assed attempt to get Billy Geurin from Howe... until i get "Hey how about Guerin, Troy Crowder and Harold Snepts for Selanne and Friesen. That just about did it for me. No wondeer I've never made a deal with that guy. I've talked to some other guys though. They know I have a first rounder burning a hole in my pocket, and I've made no bones about possible trading some young talent, but nobody's knocking down the door at this point. Oh, unless you include Golbez's girlfriend, who I fully intend to sue for the damage she did to my door. Whew....that's one LARGE woman." Speculation is that the Dropkicks are also after an older established center to have for the inevitable loss of Legwand's 3 I's next season. When asked which I was most in danger of faltering, Kordyback replied, "Intelligence." More later as we hear it. Trevor Vlodarchuk, Hartford RumourMill Tampere Tappara ------------------------- Tampere (AP) Well, after GM Kubinec made yet another blockbuster deal that included his team sending goalie Byron Dafoe to the Dropkicks and getting back netminder Jeff Hackett, he still isn't ready to stop negotiating. Rumor has it that GM Kubinec might be getting a little trade-happy and that almost all of the players on the team are questioning whether or not they will still be in Tampere come the trade deadline. When asking multiple sources around the Tampere organization regarding player movement we have pieced together that the only players marked as untouchable on the Tappara are Vaclav Prospal, Shane Doan, and Petr Sykora. Thus making everyone else available for trade talks. The Tappara have expressed some interest in acquiring some more defensive help for next season as well as some more offense on the left wing. It is being speculated that there are a couple of deals that could still go down involving the Tappara before the deadline is reached, and with that trigger happy GM in Tampere I wouldn't doubt it. Reporting from Tampere, Michael Landsberg, Tappara News. Edmonton Vikings ------------------------- GM Lee McEwen voted against the waiver draft this past week but didn't speak out against it. "I think the idea of a waiver draft has a lot of merit, but I could not bring myself to vote yes to a proposal without knowing for sure what it would entail. I see nothing wrong with a redistribution of depth talent but am strongly against being forced to give up on the front line players in this system. The scouting staff has worked incredibly hard to put this team in its current situation and will hopefully be able to see the fruits of their labor." With the deadline on the horizon, McEwen is working the phones looking for a deal that will give the Vikings a legitmate shot at the Cyber Cup. The team needs scoring help and a back-up goaltender. League News and Notes --------------------------------- The only playoff spot still up for grabs in the Wales Conference is being fought for by the Lunatics and IceDogs. The teams play two more times before the end of the season which leaves this fight wide-open. It's pretty much the same stroy out west as Seattle will battle the defending champion Venom for the eight and final spot in the Campbell Conference. The Saints are a gritty team but lack the frontline talent of the Venom. If Jeff Tetz can snap the Venom out of their Cyber Cup hangover and push them into a playoff spot, the first round match-up for the #1 seed in the west becomes that more interesting. Mikael Renberg has very quietly put together a great season in Saskatoon as the Enforcers prepare for the playoffs. His 40 goals mark a career high. Is that really Alexandre Daigle with a +/- of +33? Trading Patrick Marleau, Radek Bonk, Todd Harvey and Ron Tugnutt for a late first round pick and expansion draft fodder will ensure that the Rainbow Lake FrostBite are not going to be a league force anytime soon. Krushers Fined -------------- Jes Golbez, GM of the Chi-Town Krushers, has been fined $25,000, and the league is asking for an official apology and retraction of his comments aired on Sportstalk Radio CKFU Chi-Town, last March 9. An arbitrator designed by the league, upon review of appropriate documents, has rendered that decision late Sunday. The said arbitrator indicated that "while Mr. Golbez's had the right to be pissed off for not having reached a deal with Mr. Howe, his comments on live radio were beyond unflattering. They had not reached any official deal. The league never received anything. Slanderous, yes. Mr. Golbez painted an untrue and slanderous picture of Mr. Howe. This is why I have come up with this decision." Both Mr. Howe and Mr. Golbez were unavailable for comments at this time, but are expected to respond to the incident. Thanks for reading, remember to send any and all articles to leemcewen@yahoo.com ©Web Hockey League 2000