MARCH 1996 Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 12:37:10 +0100 Subject: WHL: Monarchs press-release NASLUND LEADS MONARCHS TO THE TOP (Minneapolis-AP) Minneapolis Monarchs held a press conference today. After almost 30 games of chasing, Monarchs finally catched Bangers, and are now top in Division. And also currently the top team in the WHL. Monarchs played two games last night. First they beat Mustangs in a very interesting game. The two teams are talking deals these days. "Yeah, maybe I made a decision after the game" said Larsson and smiled. Then the big game against Bangers away was coming up. The two top in the WHL should face each other, and everybody thought that it was going to be a tough and hard game, but Monarchs won easily 7-1. "I can't tell you how happy I'm right know. We had both Brian Bradley and top scorer Dahlen away these games. So this just shows that we have a team where everybody play for each other, and everybody is worth the same" said Larsson and continued "But I must give old swede Mats Naslund some credit. He made 5 points on the last two games, and should be a contender for player of the week. Corey Millen, the 5th center, played extremely well, and made 3 points against Bangers, and he also had some points a couple of nights ago." Larsson was then asked what he would do know, when both Dahlen and Bradley are back. Which players will be benched for those two. "Hahah, I really don't know. The players that came on the ice instead of them, Makela and Hull has had three rather good games, so I don't know yet. And I also have my eyes on Buchanan in the farm. He has played extremely well down there, and might be shipped up soon. But I don't know who will leave us then." Mats Naslund had this to say: "It's fun to play hockey again. I played with Francis the last 2 games, and I made 5 points direct. I'm happy for it, but I don't care if I make the points or if Francis or Makela make them. I'm just happy I play in a top team, and hopefully can we continue in the same great way." Will Hebert continue in the net after three wins in row? "No, Vernon takes over for the next two. We have played this way all season. 2 or 3 games in a row, then a change. And I think this is the key to our success. Two solid goalies, and a very even team." Rumors are saying Francis is going to Mustangs for Sundin in a rather big deal? "I can say that I have talked with Mustangs, but of course I won't tell you which players. But, you got to understand that Francis is a very important player in this team, so it will take much to even discuss deals involving him." Coaching staff The Magic Man Nilsson, and Assistant Vladimir Krutov were asked about the potential deal with Mustangs? Kent Nilsson: "Sundin is my favorite player, but Ron Francis is Ron Francis. Besides, we are winning with guys we have. And we aren't getting worse now when Dahlen and Bradley come back." Krutov: "Yes, Yes, Yes, we are best in the league. I never thought I should witness this, without Makarov, Larionov, Fetisov, and myself playing." - This is George Stevens for the Herald *****GAME 38 RESULTS***** Date: Sun, 3 Mar 1996 12:35:27 -0600 Subject: Trade Confirmation To the Huskies: Jeff Norton Esa Tikkanen To the Drizzle: Jari Kurri Scott Niedermayer Mike Hudson (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 39 RESULTS***** Date: Sun, 03 Mar 1996 17:39:52 -0800 Subject: WHL: Midseason report League: GP PTS 1. BANGERS 41 56 2. MONARCHS 40 55 3. WARRIORS 41 53 4. HUSKIES 40 50 5. GRUNTS 40 47 6. MALLRATS 41 47 7. LUNATICS 39 45 8. ICETASY 38 42 9. GOALPOST 39 42 10. RAPIDS 40 42 11. VIKINGS 34 40 12. WOLFPACK 38 38 13. AGENTS 41 37 14. HITMEN 40 35 15. GANGSTAZ 32 34 16. RAPTORS 40 34 17. VOODOO 41 33 18. DRIZZLE 38 32 19. QUAKERS 41 31 20. MUSTANGS 39 30 21. KODIAKS 33 29 22. BLIZZARD 36 28 23. FURY 39 28 24. SPARROWS 39 27 So, if instead of the top 4 teams from each division having playoff spots, the top 16 in the league had them: Teams that would have playoff spots but would: AGENTS, GANGSTAZ, RAPTORS. Teams that have playoff spots but wouldn't: QUAKERS, VOODOO, DRIZZLE Conferences: WALES GP PTS 1. BANGERS 41 56 2. MONARCHS 40 55 3. WARRIORS 41 53 4. GRUNTS 40 47 5. MALLRATS 41 47 6. LUNATICS 39 45 7. ICETASY 38 42 8. AGENTS 41 37 9. HITMEN 40 35 10. GANGSTAZ 32 34 11. RAPTORS 40 34 12. SPARROWS 39 27 So, if instead of the top 4 teams from each division having playoff spots, the top 8 in the conference had them: Teams that would have playoff spots but would: AGENTS Teams that have playoff spots but wouldn't: HITMEN CAMPBELL GP PTS 1. HUSKIES 40 50 2. GOALPOST 39 42 3. RAPIDS 40 42 4. VIKINGS 34 40 5. WOLFPACK 38 38 6. VOODOO 41 33 7. DRIZZLE 38 32 8. QUAKERS 41 31 9. MUSTANGS 39 30 10. KODIAKS 33 29 11. BLIZZARD 36 28 12. FURY 39 28 So, if instead of the top 4 teams from each division having playoff spots, the top 8 in the conference had them: Teams that would have playoff spots but would: NONE Teams that have playoff spots but wouldn't: NONE That's it. These would be more accurate with percentages but, what're ya gonna do? Good luck to everyone and my money's on the Campbell Conference for the All-Star game. Dave Shumka Vancouver Drizzle, Web Hockey League (Donald_Shumka@mindlink.bc.ca) Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 20:13:32 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Blizzard: Ron Francis Jeff Sevalier Sergei Nemchinov Guy Hebert Robert Lang To the Monarchs: Peter Forsberg Dimitri Khristich Joel Otto Andrei Trefilov (Shaun Driver, signature) *****ALL-STAR MONDAY RESULTS***** Date: Mon, 4 MAR 1996 20:13:43 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Lunatics: Ken Baumgartner To the Fury: Craig Simpson (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 40 RESULTS***** Date: Tue, 5 MAR 1996 22:24:38 +0100 (MET) Subject: WHL: Monarchs-press FRANCIS LEAVES HIS KINGDOM, BUT THE NEW KING HAS ARRIVED Minneapolis Monarchs management talked with the press for the first time since they traded away team-captain, Ron Francis, to the Blizzard. This trade has been questionned among media today. GM Larsson commented, "I agree. This was a big deal, where we lost team-captain Francis, Sergei Nemchinov, Jeff Sevalier, Guy Hebert and Robert Lang. All these guys played well with us and I was sad to see them go. Francis and Hebert have been leading figures on and off the ice. I wish them luck in Moscow." Larsson paused and continued "We got Peter Forsberg, and I hope he can replace Francis offensive skills, and we got Joel Otto, that will replace Francis defensive skills. Dimitri Khristich arrived instead of Sevalier. Khristich have had an terrible season, but I think he will be successful in Monarchs. Andrei Trefilov replaces Hebert." Ron Francis had this to say when the Herald reached him earlier today. "Well, I haven't been sadder in my life, but I just have to accept it. I had a superb time in Monarchs and I would like to stay. But, now, I have to concentrate on my new team, the Moscow Blizzard." And the Herald also wants to thank Francis for his short but very successful time in Monarchs. Larsson was the question about the two loss Monarchs got since the trade. "Well, we got 4 new players, and it take to get time before we find the right mix again, but both Forsberg and Otto showed their qualities." Headcoach Kent Nilsson took over, "I promise that this trade won't make our team worse. No, we will be even more powerful, with Forsberg." Nilsson was asked about the new Swedish super-line with Forsberg-Naslund-Dahlen. "Well, they played two games, with a poor result. So, may mix a little, but I still think a swede-line could be powerful" said Kent Nilsson. Peter Forsberg commented the deal "It came as a surprise to me, but I was happy when it was confirmed. Blizzard was a great team, but to me it is a dream-playing with a WHL team with a swedish management, and playing with suberb swedes like Dahlen and Naslund will be great. And playing for Kent Nilsson will be great. His offensive style, where also every player isn't worth more than another, suits me fine. I hope I can stay in this fine city and tea, for a long time." The town of Minneapolis was in shock after the trade has been confirmed by league-office. Many people were sad to see Francis go, but they also welcomed the new King, Peter Forsberg, to Monarchs. Assistant Coach, Vladimir Krutov, had this to say; "I think Larsson made a great trade. I know Khristich and he is a very good player, and Trefilov will be a key player in my opinion. Me and Kent has talked about forming a russian line to, so we might be interested in a russian center for Dave Poulin or Corey Millen." Larsson took over and answered the question about what happened with the Mustangs trade. "I had serious talks with Mustangs, but we never really reached an agreement where both teams were happy" said Larsson and finished the press-conference with presenting the new MONARCHS TEAM-CAPTAIN. "I proudly present, AL MACINNIS as our new captain. Al is a great leader both on and off the ice, and I think he will be even better after this." MacInnis had this to say "I'm happy about being captain. It was sad to see Francis go, but now I will try to lead Monarchs as Francis did." Larsson also presented new Assistant Captain after MacInnis. "Ulf Dahlen takes over as assistant captain after MacInnis. That's all." -John Pohlman for the Herald *****GAME 41 RESULTS***** Date: Wed, 6 MAR 1996 09:39:30 -0700 (MST) Subject: WHL: Whiny Weinrich Crawls Back Disgruntled defenseman Eric Weinrich sheepishly showed up for the Vikings optional practice Wednesday morning. After roughly 45 minutes of "no pucks" due to "not even a half-assed performance" Tuesday night against the Lunatics, Weinrich held court outside the Viking dressing room. "I was told if I didn't report back I would never be traded. I held a gun to McEwen's head and it looks like I lost. Of course I'll give it a 110% percent every shift, I owe it to myself and my teammates. Hopefully something can be worked out and I'll eventually be moved, but who knows? McEwen just said, "With Racine out we needed Eric back and I explaied to him that I'm doing my best to move him but I'm noy going to make him happy to hurt my hockey club. He understood that and for know he's back on our blueline. As for tomorrow, who knows?" Date: Wed, 6 MAR 1996 23:30:23 +0100 (MET) Subject: WHL PR: Monarchs PR MONARCHS WINS WITH FORSBERG After two loses with the Monarchs, Peter Forsberg, finally led the team to an important victory over divisional rival, the Grunts. Forsberg opened the scoring after just 1:57 of the first period with a great one on one goal. Forsberg then made the important 4-2 goal. Forsberg had 3 points in the game, and played superb together with his country man, Ulf Dahlen, who had 3 assists. Forsberg had this to say after the game, "It was fun out there today. I'm happy with my performance, but with Dahlen's passing, it's rather easy to score." Headcoach Kent "The Magic Man" Nilsson commented the game. "Our first line was superb tonight. Forsberg and Dahlen are great in offense, but don't forget Andreychuk. He works really hard, and makes a fine job out there. And the defenders MacInnis and Buchanan were great. I mean, Buchanan, made his first ever game in WHL, and he played like a star-defender. And I also want to give Andrei Trefilov credit. He made his first game in Monarchs, and got a win. I will keep playing with the same goalie-tactic as with Hebert." Nilsson was then asked about German Titov's rather poor performance lately. "Titov works for the team in every game. He is getting better and better in the defense-zone, so I'm not unhappy with Titov at all" said the rather happy Headcoach. The Herald also heard rumours that 5th center, Dave Poulin, is getting rather bored not playing, but he denied it all "Ok, everybody wants to play, but we have a very competitive team here, so I can't demand that I should play every game. I mean we have centers like Forsberg, Otto, Bradley, Millen and me. So, I'm not getting bored playing with the blue and yellow jerseys. I just get better in the games I get much ice-time." GM Larsson was unavailable for comment after the game. - This is John Pohlman for the Herald with the Monarchs *****GAME 42 RESULTS***** Date: Thu, 07 Mar 1996 17:21:07 -0800 Subject: WHL: WHL Weekly Hello and welcome to the first edition of the WHL Weekly, the new Web-azine that will be mailed weekly to all WHL owners. WHL Weekly In this issue: 1. WHL Board of Directors 2. Races and Rivalries 3. Midseason Picks 4. Player of the Week 5. Team of the Week 6. Commisioner's Report 1. WHL Board of Directors Wednesday, March 6, the WHL Board of Directors was formed. The formation of the Board of Directors is a giant step in insuring the popularity and well-being of the WHL. I now present to you the WHL Board of Directors: TITLE NAME Chairperson: Shaun Driver External Director: Todd Henry Promotions Director: Dave Shumka Financial Director: Lorne Clark Internal Director: Michael Hebert Player Personnel Director: Lee McEwen Assistant Financial Director: Drew Anderson Publications Director: Andreas Larsson These owners were chosen by Shaun Driver to help him with the upkeep of the league, possible rule changes, etc. We have ammended some of the rules already and we will probably change the playoff format from the top four teams in the division to the top eight teams from each conference. We will also be implementing a money system, but some kinks have to be worked out. One thing is for certain: Participation in the league will be very benificial. 2. Playoff Race (under the new top 8 team format) WALES Conference GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT LAST 10 BANGERS 44 27 12 5 194 161 59 .670 3-6-1 MONARCHS 43 26 12 5 175 131 57 .662 5-4-1 WARRIORS 44 25 14 5 182 163 55 .625 5-5-0 LUNATICS 42 23 14 5 157 139 51 .607 6-3-1 GRUNTS 44 23 16 5 156 139 51 .579 4-4-2 MALLRATS 44 23 17 4 152 142 50 .568 3-5-2 ICETASY 41 23 16 2 160 138 48 .585 6-4-0 AGENTS 43 19 21 3 155 145 41 .476 4-4-2 GANGSTAZ 35 18 13 4 121 120 40 .571 6-3-1 HITMEN 44 18 22 4 153 149 40 .454 3-5-2 RAPTORS 44 15 23 6 141 167 36 .409 3-4-3 SPARROWS 41 11 23 7 107 145 29 .353 2-3-5 Well, it is quite a race for first place between the Bangers, the Monarchs, the Warriors and, well, the top six teams all have a shot at it. This is gonna be one hell of a ride. There is no guarantee that the standings will look like this, in fact I guarantee they won't. The Gangstaz have nine games in hand compared to most of the teams, they may surprise some people. They may even come in fourth and get home-ice advantage. All the teams have a chance to make the playoffs except the Sparrows who may have a first overall draft pick to look forward to. CAMPBELL Conference GP W L T GF GA PTS PCT LAST 10 HUSKIES 44 26 16 2 164 135 54 .613 6-4-0 RAPIDS 44 23 18 3 165 149 49 .556 6-2-2 GOALPOST 41 19 18 4 146 140 42 .512 5-4-1 VIKINGS 37 18 15 4 132 115 40 .540 5-4-1 WOLFPACK 41 19 20 2 121 133 40 .487 2-8-0 VOODOO 44 16 24 4 136 156 36 .409 3-4-3 DRIZZLE 40 15 21 4 140 148 34 .425 5-3-2 QUAKERS 44 15 26 3 142 172 33 .375 5-5-0 MUSTANGS 41 15 24 2 130 144 32 .390 5-5-0 KODIAKS 36 13 19 4 137 147 30 .416 4-4-2 BLIZZARD 39 13 22 4 125 149 30 .384 4-6-0 FURY 42 12 24 6 121 155 30 .357 4-5-1 There are so many races in this conference and every team has a shot. The Huskies should have first place wrapped up, but there is plenty of time for changes and the Rapids might make a run. The Goalpost, the Vikings, the Wolfpack, the Voodoo, the Drizzle and the Quakers are all looking to get third or fourth place in the conference, but some of those teams may not make the playoffs. Only six points separate the twelfth and sixth teams. This is far from decided. 3. Midseason Picks Well, we're a little more than halfway through this inaugural WHL season, and the end of this year's campaign is almost in sight, soooo it seems like a great time to check out the front runners in the trophy department. Hart Trophy: Take a wild guess. That's right, Sergei Fedorov of the Bangers. He has been absolutely dominant this season. At this point (44 games in) he leads the league in points with 72. The closest anyone else comes to this is 57 points, that's a 15 point margin. Wow! He's in a five-way tie for second in goals with 29, and leads the league with 43 assists. He also leads in short-handed goals, shots and plus/minus. Runners-up: Alexei Zhamnov of the Vikings and Eric Lindros of thr Mallrats. Norris Trophy: Well, this one is not so obvious. I would have to give the nod to Larry Murphy of the Bangers. He leads the league's defensemen with 49 points and a plus/minus of 32. Runners-up: Al MacInnis of the Monarchs, Paul Coffey of the Huskies, and Steve Duchesne of the Icetasy. Vezina Trophy: This would be a toss-up, but we would need an eleven-sided coin. Mike Vernon of the Monarchs, Patrick Roy of the Vikings, John Vanbiesbrouck of the Agents, Bill Ranford of the Bangers, Dominik Hasek of the Hitmen, Mike Richter of the Drizzle, Ed Belfour of the Mustangs, Jim Carey of the Rapids, Trevor Kidd of the Mallrats, Kay Whitmore of the Icetasy, and Guy Hebert of the Blizzard. This may end up being between Vanbiesbrouck, Vernon, Kidd, and Roy. Selke Trophy: Fedorov. Leads the league in plus/minus and short-handed goals. He's a great two-way player. Runners-up: None, Fedorov is truly in a league of his own. Jack Adams Award: Kevin G. Nash and Charlie Crewe of the Bangers, Andreas Larsson of the Monarchs, Dave Jensen of the Grunts, Shaun Driver of the Huskies, Jason Stumpf of the Lunatics, Jeff MacDonald of the Warriors are all choices. This is tough to call. Executive Trophy: Kevin G. Nash and Charlie Crewe of the Bangers and Andreas Larsson of the Monarchs are probably the front runners for this award. I'm gonna have to lean towards Larsson on this one. The Monarchs have caught the once untouchable Bangers due to moves Larsson has made, yes this european style of hockey seems to be working. Art Ross Trophy: Fedorov. I might as well glue my fingers to the F, E, D, O, R, and V keys of my keyboard. 72 points. Wow. Jennings Trophy: Mike Vernon, 2.98 GAA. Alka Seltzer Trophy: Fedorov... again, +34. Lester Pearson Trophy: Aaaagh. FEDOROV!!!! Lady Byng, Calder, Masterson, Bud Light Man of the Year, and King Clancy are all very hard to call. You decide. 4. Player of the Week(Feb. 29 - Mar. 6) The Player of the Week is Mike Ridley of the Rapids. He had 4 goals, and 6 assists for a total of 10 points. But, this week was an interesting one, the most interesting parts come from the "Blast From the Past" department. The two runners-up for the Player of the Week award are Jari Kurri of the Drizzle and Mats Naslund of the Monarchs. That's right, two of my favorite Europeans from the eighties. I'm sure all the owners are ligning up to sign Hakan Loob. 5. Team of the Week(Feb. 29 - Mar. 6) There were three really dominant teams this week. The Warriors had 8 points in 6 games (.667), and the Lunatics earned 7 points in 5 games (.700), but the most dominant team was the Rapids who had 9 points in 6 games (.750) giving them the distinction of the Team of the Week. Way to go, guys!! 6. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Commissioner's Boring Bureaucratic Update SASKATOON (CP)- The Head Office of the Web Hockey League has been busing with action with secretaries constantly sending out phone calls and GM's constantly contacting the office to discover what's going on for the rest of the league and for the future. One may think with the amount to action that has been taking place that the Web Hockey League was considering folding but as I discovered not some two hours ago the Web Hockey League is growing... and quickly. The commissioner stated in a comment to clear the air, "I am determined to make the Web Hockey League the most efficient, well-maintained, and most importantly exciting hockey league on the net. The Web Hockey League will ROCK!" The league has been planning to grow not by adding more teams but by ensuring the quality of the league is ensured. The first step in the process was by creating a Board of Directors, from 7 General Managers in the league. Each Director was specifically in charge of the development of a Web-azine which has so been titled as the WHL Weekly. The directors each have a major goal that will be soon undertaken but more growth will occur after the WHL Owner's Manual has been revamped to incorporate the rules that the GM's want to see. The new manual will be introduced to the league in about a week and it will include such radical changes as: player contracts, arena costs, business contributions, and ticket sales...GUARANTEED to make the league more interesting. The odd GM have complained that the league should simply allow the simulator to do its job and nothing more but Shaun Driver commented on that idea by saying, "It seems that every league on the net is simply using the simulator and, frankly, its boring. If they want to be a part of a league like that then they can move their team when the season is over BUT for those who stay they will welcomed into the WHL with open arms and will be introduced to the most interactive, informative, interesting, and entertaining league in all the net. In short, the Web Hockey League will ROCK!" In other news the Commissioner stated that with the growth of the league the office in Saskatoon is getting too cramped. So as the month of June rolls around the league will see the office move to Calgary, Alberta (in other words I'm moving). The league will be closed down, for hopefully no longer than a week or two to allow an internet account to be set up in Calgary but hopefully the league will be in the off-season by then so the league will not be hurt by the move. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE HUSKIES HOWL SASKATOON (CP)- The Huskies' after some outstaning trades and excellent management from Shaun Driver have quickly developed into the best team in the Campbell conference and when asked about it GM Shaun Driver had just one thing to say, "The Wolfpack were starting to think that they we're god's gift to the Web Hockey League but as of late have found there proper home in the dog pound. The Battle of the Dogs is no longer prominent in the Norris Division and maybe the team should do a serious gut-check because Huskies don't back down and will simply shread the Wolves to pieces. After all, "Who needs a slogan when their team is"...as good as MINE! (Dave Shumka, signature) Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 23:26:22 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Wolfpack: Wendel Clark To the Voodoo: Patrick Poulin (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 43 RESULTS***** Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 18:45:07 -0600 Subject: WHL: Biassed Referee HEADLINE: Referee costs Huskies Two Points SASKATOON (CP)- The Huskies played an outstanding game against the Quakers but from the final score you would have never known. The final score had the Quakers ahead of the Huskies 7-4 despite the Huskies' outshooting the Quakers by ten shots when asked what happened during the game Assistant Coach Mike Henschel blew up, "I only have one thing to say, what the hell was up with the referee? The Quakers wouldn't let us play and were clutching and grabbing all over the place and after a period of unproductive hockey our team was really frustrated, and we took to many cheap penalties." However, seeing the final penalty minute total as lopsided as this game, one must ask themselves whether the HUSKIES really stood a chance. The Huskies tallied up a total of 53 PIM and in a 60 minute game the HUSKIES were behind the eightball quite often. The QUAKERS on the other hand only achieved 28 PIM. Obviously something was the matter with the whole ordeal. Team Captain, Paul Coffey, was asked to comment on the ordeal and said, "Of course it's frustrating but with the RAPIDS quickly catching on us and pushing us for first place we have to worry about our game. We didn't today and it cost us...but we'll pull it together." (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 44 RESULTS***** Date: Sat, 9 Mar 1996 19:14:47 +0100 (MET) Subject: WHL PR: Monarchs Press 3 POINTS BY ROOKIE DEFENDER JEFF BUCHANAN Jeff Buchanan has gone from a average defender in minor league to a first class player in the Big League. Buchanan lead the Monarchs to a nice victory over the Mustangs. Buchanan had 3 points in this game, and made the game-winner in over-time. Buchanan made a great slapshot from the blue. If he continue this way, he might be a contender for the rookie of the year. GM Larsson commented Jeff Buchanan's success "Buchanan is impressing me and the coaching staff. He has played exellent. He made 3 points against Mustangs, but you shouldn't forget Sean Hill. He was great playing together with Buchanan." Larsson was then asked about the defender situation in the team. "It's like the centers. Many very equal players. Last night was both defense defenders Lowe and Ladouceur resting, and then we have Doug Zmolek playing in our farm team." Any defenders that is going to be traded? "Well, I always look at all offers, but MacInnis will not be moved. But Hill, Ladouceur, Lowe and Zmolek could be moved for the right offers" said Larsson and continued "I know many teams out there needs defensive defenders, and I have 2 of them not playing too much." - John Pohlman, reporting from the Monarchs Head-office at the King-dome *****GAME 45 RESULTS***** Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 13:09:52 +0000 Subject: WHL: Extra Stats Here are the leaders for the penalty minutes : (more than 109 minutes after game 43) Brad May Fury 164 Chris Dahlquist Agents 163 Pat Verbeek Wolfpack 162 Claude Lemieux Quakers 155 Marty McSorley Quakers 154 Kevin Haller Wolfpack 153 John Cullen Warriors 141 Bryan Marchment Fury 140 Shayne Corson Goalpost 133 Ryan McGill Drizzle 131 Michel Petit Agents 130 Francois Leroux Mallrats 128 Mike Ricci Raptors 128 Dave Karpa Huskies 127 Scott Thornton Vikings 127 Claude Lapointe Bangers 125 Kevin Miller Sparrows 125 Peter Taglianetti Sparrows 124 Jocelyn Lemieux Raptors 121 Ulf Samuelsson Icetasy 121 Andrei Nazarov Raptors 120 Brent Hugues Vikings 119 Stephane Quintal Bangers 119 Joe Reekie Drizzle 119 Gerald Diduck Voodoo 118 Kevin Dineen Agents 118 Alexei Zhitnik Quakers 118 Keith Tkachuk Hitmen 117 Brian Benning Bangers 116 Cam Russell Mallrats 115 Adam Burt Warriors 113 Wayne Presley Wolfpack 111 (Michael Hebert, signature) Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 13:40:15 +0000 Subject: WHL: Extra Stats (2) Here are the leaders for +/- (after game 43): (over +14 and under -14) Sergei Fedorov Bangers +33 Larry Murphy Bangers +31 Fredrik Olausson Bangers +28 Joe Mullen Bangers +26 Steve Duchesne Icetasy +25 Jeremy Roenick Icetasy +25 Stephane Richer Bangers +24 Steve Chiasson Vikings +23 Eric Desjardins Vikings +23 Alexei Zhamnov Vikings +23 Tony Granato Vikings +21 Derian Hatcher Hitmen +21 Eric Lindros Mallrats +21 Dimitri Mironov Mallrats +21 Owen Nolan Vikings +21 Sergei Krivokrasov Icetasy +20 Dave Ellett Mustangs +18 Chris Joseph Warriors +18 Al MacInnis Monarchs +17 Raymond Bourque Warriors +16 John Cullen Warriors +16 Ulf Dahlen Monarchs +16 Todd Krygier Hitmen +16 Paul Laus Mallrats +16 Mark Howe Grunts +15 Patrick Juhlin Warriors +15 Uwe Krupp Hitmen -24 Zarley Zalapski Fury -24 Teemu Selanne Fury -23 Mark Tinordi Wilfpack -23 Pierre Turgeon Sparrows -23 Mariusz Czerkawski Goalpost -22 Pat LaFontaine Kodiaks -21 Scott Niedermayer Drizzle -21 Keith Tkachuk Hitmen -21 Kevin Haller Wolfpack -20 Mike Modano Wolfpack -20 Richard Smehlik Goalpost -20 Pavel Bure Raptors -19 Chris Chelios Hitmen -18 Sheldon Kennedy Wolfpack -18 Kelly Miller Sparrows -18 Doug Brown Sparrows -17 Darryl Shannon Raptors -17 Tony Amonte Sparrows -16 Kevin Lowe Monarchs -16 Craig Muni Quakers -16 Mike Sillinger Hitmen -16 Phil Housley Kodiaks -15 Jyrki Lumme Voodoo -15 Stephane Matteau Quakers -15 Frantisek Musil Raptors -15 Patrick Poulin Voodoo -15 Martin Straka Sparrows -15 Glen Wesley Warriors -15 (Michael Hebert, signature) *****GAME 46 RESULTS***** *****GAME 47 RESULTS***** Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 03:34:24 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Huskies: Darren Puppa Guy Carbonneau 2nd round pick To the Gangstaz: Steve Yzerman Stephane Fiset Jim Kyte *****GAME 48 RESULTS***** Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 14:36:18 +0000 Subject: WHL: Sparrows News MILLER BROTHERS REUNITED. Chicoutimi(Qc) The next game of the Sparrows will be a special one. Yesterday, the Sparrows recalled center Kip Miller from their farm team. Sparrows GM Mike Hebert said : "Kip has really improved lately, and we felt it was time to give him a chance. So we brought him up and we will see what he is able to do in the big league." The Sparrows' coach, Gilbert Perreault, had this to say about Miller : "If I get the chance, maybe I will send him along with his brothers Kelly and Kevin on the same line, and Aaron Miller on defense. That would be a premiere in the WHL." Last week, there was a goal scored by a Miller, assisted by a Miller and a Miller, perhaps we will see another goal scored by one of the three brothers, and assisted by his two brothers. Luc Gelinas, for Le Journal de Quebec. (Michael Hebert, signature) Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 21:27:36 -0800 Subject: WHL Weekly vol. 2 Hello, and welcome to the second edition of the WHL Weekly. In this issue: 1. **New Feature** Weekly Interview with Jim Hauer 2. Midseason Playoff Picks 3. Team of the Week 4. Player of the Week 5. Stand Out Stats 1. **NEW FEATURE** WEEKLY INTERVIEW WITH JIM HAUER Every week a League GM will be interviewed by the WHL Weekly's star-reporter Jim Hauer. Jim will go from town to town to make his weekly interview, and he'll try to get one with every GM in this fine and competitive league. Watch your mailbox, you could be next. JIM: Hi everybody! My name is Jim Hauer, and before I present today's "victim" I want to thank WHL League Office, for giving me this great job. -- With us today is Owner and GM of the VANCOUVER DRIZZLE - DAVID SHUMKA JIM: Hi there, David, how are you doing these days? DAVID: I've been great since the Drizzle got hot. JIM: You have made a rather good job with your team. Started up slow, and now you're in playoffs-position. What was the reason for the bad start, and what was it that made your team a winning one? DAVID: Well, I feel the bad start had a lot to do with the schedule. In my first five games, I think, I played the Monarchs twice and the Bangers twice. I was 0-7-0 to start the season, so I thought I needed to make a trade and I traded Belfour, Oksiuta and, Boucher to the Mustangs for Hextall, MacLean, and Gill. That trade really got the Drizzle rolling toward success. JIM: Yes, that was a good trade, but you also made another big deal, when you moved Mario Lemieux to the Mallrats for Renberg. Anything you can tell us about that trade, and was it really wise of you to trade Lemieux? DAVID: I wasn't doing all that well, so I needed to make a change and I wasn't afraid of losing Lemieux because I had a perfectly capable center in Arnott. I needed a really good right-wing, and I got that in Renberg. People may judge that trade and think that "Wow, Lemieux is racking up the points with Lindros." I don't think about the trade that way. Since the trade we have been soaring and the Mallrats have been sucking. JIM: Well, maybe it was wise after all. Over to something else. You have the same amount of points as local rival, the Voodoo. Is it any rivalty between your teams? DAVID: Well, there was before they got the new owner. I hated the old owner. We would send e-mail to one another proclaiming our mutual hate. He once sent me a trade offer for one of my goalies because I had Richter and Belfour and he had no goalies and I replied with something like, "Ha! No way you're getting one of MY goalies, there's a reason I chose Belfour in the second round." Then he wrote something like, "Well, that was stupid of you. You wasted a pick." Boy, I hated him. JIM: Ok, I will stop talking rivalry here, so we don't start another war here. So, which player is the most important player on the your team? DAVID: Well, there are a few. Renberg, of course. Kurri has been playing very well of late along with Beranek. Now I have two effective lines: Quinn, Arnott, Renberg and Beranek, Corkum, Kurri. JIM: Any player your disappointed with, and will you trade him for the first fair offer that you get? DAVID: Well, Scott Niedermayer has been a disappointment to all three teams he's played for, with only eleven points. But, he has SO MUCH potential, so I don't think I'll trade him. JIM: Maybe this is a bad question, because of course you want, but are there any special player you want on your team? DAVID: Well, there are some players that everyone wants on their team, but I think Fedorov would be hard to get. Just kidding. I would like a player like Trevor Linden, he's a guy who quietly performs. JIM: Finally, David, will the Drizzle reach the playoffs? DAVID: Yes, and I'm going to win. No, seriously. I mean it. JIM: Ok, thank you for your time David, and good luck in future. And I, Jim Hauer, will be back next week, with another interview and another GM. ----------------------------------------------------------------- - This is Jim Hauer for the WHL Weekly in Vancouver ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. MIDSEASON PLAYOFF PICKS Well, there has been some confusion in the Web Hockey League Board of Directors concerning the playoffs. At this point it will be the top eight teams in the conference making the playoffs with the top team in each division occupying the top two spots, but we'll keep you posted. If the playoffs began today: WALES Conference 1. BANGERS .676 2. WARRIORS .610 3. MONARCHS .670 4. ICETASY .617 5. LUNATICS .595 6. GRUNTS .570 7. MALLRATS .568 8. GANGSTAZ .551 9. AGENTS .500 10. HITMEN .440 11. RAPTORS .420 12. SPARROWS .344 CAMPBELL Conference 1. HUSKIES .620 2. RAPIDS .540 3. VIKINGS .534 4. WOLFPACK .478 5. GOALPOST .466 6. DRIZZLE .457 7. VOODOO .430 8. BLIZZARD .423 9. QUAKERS .410 10. MUSTANGS .395 11. KODIAKS .365 12. FURY .326 Notice: Seven out of the eight teams that have playoff spots in the Campbell Conference would not have a playoff spot if they were in the Wales Conference. I won't bore you with the first two rounds, so here's how I think the conference finals should go: The Bangers should end up facing the the Monarchs in the Wales final. I think the Monarchs have the edge. Both these teams have depth on offense, but I like the Monarchs goaltending, Vernon and Trefilov are one of the best one-two punches in the league. And the Bangers have very bad special teams. The Huskies should face the Rapids in the Campbell final. The Huskies have got a lot of depth in Hull, Oates, Shanahan, etc. but the Rapids are no slouch with Ridley and Fleury. I'm gonna give the nod to the Rapids because I feel Jim Carey is better than Puppa. Finals: MONARCHS! MONARCHS! MONARCHS! I feel they are the most balanced and deep team in the league. Here's how I think the playoffs would go: Wales Conference Conference Quarter-Final Conference Conference WHL FINAL Semi-Final Final (Finalists qualify ----------- for "UFHP") 1BANGERS |__BANGERS___ 8GANGSTAZ | | ----------- |_BANGERS__ | | ----------- | | 4ICETASY |__ICETASY___| | 5LUNATICS | | ----------- |__MONARCHS______ | | ----------- | | 2WARRIORS |__MALLRATS__ | | 7MALLRATS | | | | ----------- |_MONARCHS_| | | | ----------- | | 3MONARCHS |__MONARCHS__| | 6GRUNTS | | ----------- | |__MONARCHS___ Campbell Conference | | WINNER ----------- | OF THE 1HUSKIES |__HUSKIES___ | CYBER CUP 8BLIZZARD | | | ----------- |_HUSKIES__ | | | | ----------- | | | 4WOLFPACK |__GOALPOST__| | | 5GOALPOST | | | ----------- |__RAPIDS________| | ----------- | 2RAPIDS |__RAPIDS____ | 7VOODOO | | | ----------- |_RAPIDS___| | ----------- | 3VIKINGS |__VIKINGS___| 6DRIZZLE | ----------- 3. TEAM OF THE WEEK How 'bout them Icetasy? Er, those Icetasy? Er, that Icetasy? Er, How 'bout 'em? 8-2-0 in their last 10. WOWEE! And I don't often say WOWEE, so that means a lot. 4. PLAYER OF THE WEEK Mike Richter of the Drizzle. That's right, a goalie. In his last games he's lowered his Goals Against Average from 3.19 to 3.03, raised his Save Percentage from .903 to .907, and got one shut-out. Runner up: Sergei Fedorov. He got nine points in five games. 5. STAND OUT STATS Did you notice this? In their last three games the Huskies had 119 shots. The Icetasy had 129. Uh, WOWEE! Those are the two highest-firing teams in the WHL. Did you notice this? In their last three games the Rapids had 111 shots against. The Vikings have 116. Those teams have the worst defense of late. Dave Shumka Vancouver Drizzle, Web Hockey League (Donald_Shumka@mindlink.bc.ca) Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 00:00:38 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Icetasy: Peter Bondra Ulf Samuelsson To the Hitmen: Chris Chelios Todd Krygier (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 49 RESULTS***** *****GAME 50 RESULTS***** *****GAME 51 RESULTS***** Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 19:39:40 +0000 Subject: WHL:Trade The Newfoundland Gangstaz have decided to trade All-star captain Mark Messier. Messier seems the have trouble recovering from his recent injury and the Gangstaz needs every guy in good shape until the end of the season with the crazy schedule they've got. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think on the 20 last games on the schedule, 12 involve the Gangstaz. GM Marc Hebert who already performed some really good trades in order to help the team do the playoffs (say the Pat Verbeek for Robert Reichel deal, Petr Klima for Zigmund Palfy and most recently the trade that brought Stephane Fiset and Steve Yzerman to NF...) had this to say about trading Messier: "It's always very difficult to trade a player like Mark Messier. The guy is one of the best players I've got to see play. We're not desperate to trade him but I say we listen to the offers. I'd like to acquire a player who can help the team right now, a first line center. I know Steve Yzerman can do as good a job as Messier does as team captain." (Marc Hebert, signature) Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 01:58:05 -0600 Subject: WHL:Trade confirmation To the Goalpost: Sylvain Lefebvre Mikael Andersson Jamie Baker To the Gangstaz: Nelson Emerson Teppo Numminen Craig Wolanin (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 01:57:55 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Lunatics: Sandy McCarthy To the Vikings: Craig Berube (Shaun Driver, signature) ****GAME 52 RESULTS***** Date: Wed, 20 Mar 1996 00:51:41 +0100 (MET) Subject: WHL: Monarchs-News (Minneapolis/AP) After several games of trouble on the ice, Monarchs finally got a nice win. They beat Lunatics away with 4-0, and Mike Vernon was the hero of the game, with saving 31 shots and saved them all. This shows that Mike is one of the best goalies in the WHL right now. And Vernon had this to say after game "I had a rather good game. Had some luck, and the defenders helped me much, and I must mention Joel Otto too. He is fantastic in the defense. He is even better than Ron Francis as a defensive center" said a happy Mike Vernon. Ulf Dahlen made another solid game in his new line, and Don Sweeney was also one of the heros out there today. Headcoah "Magic Man" Nilsson had this to say after the game, "Wow, what a game we did. It was hardteam work that got us this important victory. Everybody made what they should, so we reduced our mistake to 0, and then nobody scores at us". Nilsson paused and continued "Corey Millen made a fantastic game. He came in on the ice as 4th center, and ended up with +3. He is one of the most effective centers when he actually plays I have ever seen. Mike Vernon was excellent too of course, but he will be resting the next game probably, and the talented Andrei Trefilov takes over." GM Andreas Larsson commented the games, and talked about the situation in the team. "I'm in a rather good position. I have a good team, and I think everybody in the Monarchs jersey is worth the same. I don't care if a player makes 100 points or 2 points, as long as he gives 100% in every game, and support the team 100% even if he is not playing. And I feel I have those players now. Look at players like Corey Millen and Dave Poulin. They have potential of playing every game, but they don't say a word when they are scratched. BTW, Millen was great tonight. I have talked with many teams concerning Millen, and everybody seems to under-rate him. But now I think I'll keep him here, and I know he wants to stay. But of course every team has some key players, and so do we." Any thing worries you, Larsson? "Not really, the team has played a little weak lately, but showed last night what they can do. But, sure many things worries me. I mean we can get some players injuried, but we didn't play worse when Dahlen was injuried, or when Bradley was missing a couple of games. What about Titov's poor season so far? "Both me and Coach Nilsson has answered that question before. OK, Titov has maybe not reached up to his normal standard in the offense. But he is doing a hell of a job in the defense. So, I'm pleased with his performance and attitude, but at the same time I know what Titov is capable of offensively, so he is one of the players I can consider to move." Reported by John Pohlman, The Herald *****GAME 53 RESULTS***** Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 21:19:53 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Goalpost: Bernie Nicholls Derian Hatcher To the Hitmen: Wayne Gretzky (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 54 RESULTS***** Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 08:06:20 -0500 (EST) Subject: Lunatics are going Crazy!!! The Waterloo Lunatics or late have been literally going crazy. The team has started to pick up play with all lines contributing. Also GM and Coach Jason has been very busy making deals with gm to get his team moving. On Friday the Lunatics set a league record for trades in one day with trading players to three different teams that totalled 11 Lunatics leaving the team and 11 newly insane players joining the team. Newly acquired defenceman Mathieu Schneider said earlier in the day he couldn't wait to join the team. Also veteran wingers Kevin Stevens and Wendel Clark are looking fit and ready for tonight's action. Stevens who earlier in the season was a Lunatics before being traded has stated that this has been the best organization he has played for and is really glad to back in the asylum. Though with every good organization there are a few ripples. Veterans Bob Sweeney and Jeff Brown have voiced there opinions about trading away Gary Roberts, Rob Blake and not even having Mark Tinordi on the team for more then 5 minutes before trading him away again. Also newly acquired Wendel Clark has also said he would like to move on to another team seeing he is now a third liner with the organization. Clark, Sweeney and Brown have stated that they are looking for a trade and gm Jason said he would be glad to make another deal with anyone. On a brighter note the Lunatics are ready and geared up for their game tonight to show off their new players and to see what they can do. (Jason Stumpf, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 00:52:54 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Lunatics: Gilbert Dionne Randy Burridge To the Mustangs: Ken Baumgartner (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 00:52:44 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Lunatics: Kevin Stevens Doug Houda Kevin Dahl Rudy Poescheck Craig Ludwig Mark Janssens To the Kodiaks: Mark Tinordi Keith Brown Randy Gilhen Chris Lipuma Gary Leeman Luciano Borsato (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 00:52:33 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Wolfpack: Gary Roberts Rob Blake To the Lunatics: Wendel Clark Mark Tinordi (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 55 RESULTS***** Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 15:20:41 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Hitmen: Teemu Selanne To the Fury: Kelly Buchberger Vyacheslav Kozlov (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 15:21:56 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Voodoo: Sean Burke To the Kodiaks: Garth Butcher Kirk McLean (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 20:54:17 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Sparrows: Jean-Yves Roy Philippe Derouville To the Goalpost: Chris Rogles Darren Langdon (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 20:54:29 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Sparrows: Jimmy Waite To the Voodoo: Alan May (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 56 RESULTS***** Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 11:26:01 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation No arbitration needed its been settled.... (moslty because I'm a tough SOB when it comes to dealing eh Robert :) To the Huskies: Trevor Linden To the Voodoo: Brett Hull Stan Drulia (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 13:25:11 +0000 Subject: WHL: Sparrows News Chicoutimi(Qc) Yesterday, the Sparrows won a very important game against the Icetasy. Kip Miller scored his first two goals of the year, and the winning goal in the third period. He was playing in the place of Stephan Lebeau, who got injured the previous night against the Voodoo. Lebeau was the first of his team to get an injury this season, and he will probably be back in 3 games, against the same Icetasy. By beating the Icetasy, the Sparrows won their 3rd game in a row. GM Mike Hebert had this to say: "It was great to beat a powerful team like the Icetasy. They have the 3rd best winning percentage in the league. Also, we had the worst record at home in the league, with 1-8-2, and a very bad record against our division. We are not that far behind the Hitmen and the Raptors, and we have 6 games more than them to play. It was a very, very important game, and we won." Tonight, the Sparrows will play against the Vancouver Drizzle, and after they will play 6 games against the 4 best teams of the league, 3 against the Icetasy, 2 against the Monarchs and one against the Huskies. In other news, GM Mike Hebert made 2 minor deals yesterday, getting 3 francophone players. Goalies Jimmy Waite and Philippe DeRouville, and right winger Jean-Yves Roy all said that they were very happy to come to Chicoutimi, even knowing that they would probably don't have the chance to play in the big league this year. Hebert also said that he was still looking for a defenseman before the trade deadline, and that Paul MacDermid, Mike Kennedy, and Jim McKenzie were available. Luc Gelinas for Sports 30. (Michael Hebert, signature) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 21:43:34 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Drizzle: Ian Laperriere To the Icetasy: Dan Quinn (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 21:43:54 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Drizzle: Mike Modano Wayne Presley To the Wolfpack: Jason Arnott Donald Audette (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 21:43:21 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Goalpost: Nathan Lafayette Greg Adams To the Voodoo: Greg Gilbert (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 22:56:39 -0600 Subject: WHL: Team GM Leaving... Well...the Raptors have sent me the following notice... Hey Shaun, I am going to have to drop out of this league for now. I have to many things going on and have no time for this one. Please find another owner ASAP. Sorry, Matt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do we replace Matt with the GM from the first person on the waiting list... OR Do we want to ask them all why the want to be a part of the league and accept the best response?? Please get back to me I want the position filled by Thursday... (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 57 RESULTS***** Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 19:46:16 -0800 Subject: WHL Weekly WELCOME TO WHL WEEKLY VOL. 3, uh I think In this issue: 1. Jim Hauer's Weekly Interview 2. A Little Birdie Told Me... 3. This Year's Schedule 4. Dave Shumka's Editorial 5. Player 'O the Week 6. Team 'O the Week 7. Top 'O the Mornin' to ya. (Oops,scratch that) 1. ************************************** ****** THE WHL WEEKLY INTERVIEW ****** ************************************** Hi again! I'm Jim Hauer, for the WHL Weekly, and I'm here with another GM from the best league on the Net - THE WEB HOCKEY LEAGUE. The trading deadline is getting closer every day, and many teams have made their final deals of the season. Today's interview "victim" is one of them that has made many trades lately, and is fighting for the last playoff spot in the Patrick Division. So today's guest is LORNE CLARKE, GM and Owner of the HAMILTON HITMEN. JIM: Hi there Lorne, how are you doing? LORNE: Pretty good thanks, how are you? JIM: I'm fine. I have travelled around and seen great WHL hockey for a week now. But over to the interview, Lorne. You have made many deals lately. Both Gretzky and Selanne are in your team now. Why did you make the trades, and is there anything you can tell us about them? LORNE: The reason I did these trades was because my team was falling apart(they stunk). I felt that if I didn't make some changes quick, that I would soon fall out of a playoff spot. I am hoping that they can carry me to the next level. I gave up a lot of players to get them, but I feel it was worth it and in the right system they can flourish. I have recently made another deal sending Hasek/Rucinsky/Sillinger/3rd rnder for Muller/Brodeur. JIM: Yes, but let's talk more about Gretzky and Selanne. Both have been a little disappointment in their previous teams. Have they performed well in the Hitmen jersey so far? LORNE: Well, so far I am 2-0 with Selanne and hopefully with the addition of Muller to center him he can put the puck in the net. I believe I am 2-1-1 with Gretzky and now that he is centering two of the leagues best snipers in Bondra and Tkachuk, I feel that he will take this team to another level in the playoffs. I now have two really solid forward lines in Tkachuk-Gretzky-Bondra, and Leblanc-Muller-Selanne. John Leblanc improved a considerable amount in the minors(7 shot) and has recently been called up to the big club. JIM: You made some other deals. Anything intresting you can tell us about them? LORNE: Earlier in the season I acquired Dominic Hasek. He has held my team together to this point. However, I had a great offer come up for him that I couldn't refuse and I bring in another established goaltender in Martin Brodeur, I also like Marty's age factor. JIM: So, you now have Gretzky, Brodeur and some other stars in your team, but which of them are most important to the team? LORNE: I really have a lot of big names on the team now. The most important will probably be the newly acquired Martin Brodeur. He will need to play great to win in the playoffs. I will have some tough competition. My MVP to this point has been Sandis Ozolinsh. My blueline has been weak (reason for trading Chelios), and Sandis has held it together, excelling on a rather dismal team. I will need a solid contribution from my two snipers Thachuk and Bondra (acquired for Chelios), and it should be easy for them playing with the great one. JIM: So, you have many big names, but you're just 1 point ahead of 5th placed Raptors. It's gonna be hard battle for the last playoff-position in Patrick division. Tell us what you think; Will the Hitmen make the playoffs or will Raptors steal the position from you? LORNE: Well, actually I just passed the Raptors today. With the trades I have just made, I feel my team is 100% better then before. I think that if I don't get that playoff spot then my players have to be the biggest underachievers of all time. I ain't looking at 4th spot, I am looking at moving higher than that. JIM: You have put almost every player on the trading-block. So we can expect a lot of trading before the deadline, right? LORNE: Yes, I would really like to maybe acquire another offensive defenseman, or another scoring winger. However, I now have a lot of players who are untouchable so the trades may not be as drastic. JIM: OK, Lorne. I'll give you a chance here to tell us wich players that you want to deal? LORNE: The players that I would really like to deal would be anyone of my defenseman. I would like to acquire a high scoring dman in return. My defencemen on the block include, Manson, Krupp, Ozolinsh, Samuelsson, Jonnson, and others. JIM: So, many players are on the block. But let's talk about something else. You have one of the best penalty kills in the league, anything you can tell us about that? LORNE: I gave my penalty killing to a few on my third line gritty players like Steve Rucchin, Keith Jones, etc... They have excelled and have been some of my best players averaging around +15. I also have to give a lot of credit to my tough stay at home defensiveman in Krupp, Manson, Samuelsson, Ozolinsh. JIM: Another thing that I have wondered about is why Hitmen are more powerful away, than on home-ice. Is the support too bad in the home-arena, or...? LORNE: I have a lot of good skating players who have been restricted in ice space playing here at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The support has been average but ever since getting the Great One, attendance has been sold out every game. Things should change with all the new faces. JIM: Lorne, is there anything you want to say to the league, good or bad, you got a chance to speak about whatever you want! LORNE: I think this is a very well run league and well organized. I just wish there was games every day. The only thing that gets me mad is the lack of involvement from some of the owners. Some are always willing to deal while others have seem to lost interest. JIM: Finally, which team wins the cup this first season? LORNE: The Hitmen, of course. JIM: Well, why wasn't I surprised about that answer. However, I think that the Hitmen will be a darkhorse in the playoffs, and with the team that they have now they can go far, so I wouldn't be surprised if you were right Lorne. I thank you for your time, if you don't want to say anything else before ending the interview? LORNE: Yah, watch out for the new and improved Hamilton Hitmen. Copps Coliseum is gonna be rocking! JIM: Heheh! Thank you Lorne. I, Jim Hauer, will be back with another interview in the next issue of the WHL WEEKLY. See you then..... -Jim Hauer, for the WHL Weekly in Hamilton 2. A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME... Matt Pitt, owner and GM of the Oakville Raptors, informed Commissioner Shaun Driver this Tuesday that he has too much going on to be involved in the WHL and he would like to be replaced as soon as possible. In related news, former Voodoo owner/GM Darren W. Kinnaird has contacted a member of the WHL Board of Directors about the league. As you'll recall, Kinnaird was moving during the "Commission Shuffle," and was unfortunately squeezed out of the league. He recently got himself a computer. Since this is a special case, Darren may have priority over the waiting list. THE PLOT THICKENS! 3. THIS YEAR'S SCHEDULE Well, how about this wacky schedule? Apparently, there's a glitch in HLS2 that creates terribly odd schedules. CASE IN POINT: The Gangstaz have played 14 games less than the rest of the division (13 less than the Monarchs). ADAMS Division GP BANGERS 60 MONARCHS 59 MALLRATS 60 GRUNTS 60 AGENTS 60 GANGSTAZ 46 LEAGUE GP 1. BANGERS 60 -. MALLRATS 60 -. GRUNTS 60 -. AGENTS 60 -. WARRIORS 60 -. HUSKIES 60 -. QUAKERS 60 -. VOODOO 60 9. MONARCHS 59 -. RAPIDS 59 -. HITMEN 59 -. RAPTORS 59 13. MUSTANGS 58 -. FURY 58 15. LUNATICS 57 16. ICETASY 55 -. DRIZZLE 55 -. BLIZZARD 55 19. SPARROWS 54 -. WOLFPACK 54 -. GOALPOST 54 22. VIKINGS 51 23. KODIAKS 49 24. GANGSTAZ 46 For the small majority it's perfect, fourteen teams within two games of one another. For a larger majority it's adequate, twenty-one within six games of one another. But for the Gangstaz the trading deadline comes very early, and they play their last few games within one day. Unfortunately, it's really hard - if not impossible - to produce a schedule manually. So, we must grin and bear it. 4. DAVE SHUMKA'S EDITORIAL I love e-mail. I use e-mail a lot. Many of you also e-mail a lot. You reply to trade offers as soon as you get them. But many of you seem to be afraid to use your e-mail. Some owners never reply to trade offers. This league is about participation, next season you will be able to earn up to ten million dollars based on your participation. Oh, and not replying to trade offers is a violation of league rules: ******************** A. CODE OF CONDUCT ******************** 1. Each Franchise GM is expected to respond to all trade inquiries as soon as possible. Also, I asked teams to nominate a player from their team for the player of the week - a system that I will continue to work with - I got four replies. Were there only four players that played well? I didn't want four replies, I wanted twenty-four. I wanted people replying even to say that they didn't have any players who excelled. So, if you don't want to participate in the league or you don't have time to reply to a trade offer with a simple no, maybe this is not the league for you. 5. PLAYER OF THE WEEK Well, this week belonged to Mario Lemieux of the Mallrats. He scored four goals and added five assists for nine points in five games. Doing that, he went from seventh leading scorer to third. 6. TEAM OF THE WEEK (Games 53-57) Well, the once almighty, all-powerful Icetasy have started to slip. But the once roadkill Sparrows seem to be coming to life. And the Lunatics are coming out of their shell. Both these teams have eight points in their last five games. That is why they share this week's TEAM OF THE WEEK. See you next week! * * *** *** ***** ***** ******* ******* ****************** *THANKS FOR READING* ****************** ******* ******* ***** ***** *** *** * * * * *** *** ***** ***** ******* ******* ****************** ***THE WHL DIGEST*** ****************** ******* ******* ***** ***** *** *** * * Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 13:47:09 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Blizzard: Pat LaFontaine Bobby Holik Dave Babych To the Kodiaks: Ron Francis Sergei Nemchinov (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 13:47:30 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Fury: Dominic Hasek Mike Sillinger Martin Rucinsky 3rd round draft pick To the Hitmen: Martin Brodeur Kirk Muller (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 13:52:08 -0600 Subject: WHL: New GM The Toronto Raptors team has been filled by Jared Tashimaro who can be reached at: rstamas@indirect.com Congratulations Jared on entering the league...and now that the trading deadline maybe the RAPTORS will make some deals before the deadline..the playoff race thickens!!! (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 13:47:20 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Lunatics: Patrick Labrecque Murray Craven To the Wolfpack: Bob Essensa Craig Ducanson (Shaun Driver, signature) Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 13:46:54 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Gangstaz: Mats Sundin Jason Allison Drake Berehowski 2nd round draft pick 3rd round draft pick To the Mustangs: Mark Messier Tyler Wright Craig Wolanin 4th round draft pick 5th round draft pick (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 58 RESULTS***** Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 21:40:51 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Drizzle: Vladimir Konstantinov Guy Hebert To the Blizzard: Paul Cavallini Ron Hextall (Shaun Driver, signature) *****GAME 59 RESULTS***** Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 21:40:36 -0600 Subject: WHL: Trade Confirmation To the Quakers: Glen Wesley To the Warriors: Kevin Hatcher (Shaun Driver, signature)