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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA PANTHERS
VOLUME 5, NUMBER 3
Finding theMissingPieces2011 NHL DRAFT AND FREE AGENCY PREVIEW
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We make it OUR business to know YOURS.
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BankAtlantic.com/Business 1-877-7-DAY-BIZ 1-877-732-9249Since 1952
Swing by and meet YOUR Business Specialist today! Or if you’d like, we can meet you on your own turf.
BankAtlantic - Official Bank of the Florida Panthers®
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©2009 COORS BREWING COMPANY
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FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM8
volume 5. issue 3
54
ADDING THE RIGHT PIECESGM Dale Tallon and the Panthers are ready for another NHL Draft that is rife with opportunity.
AGENTS OF CHANGEThe Panthers are looking for free agents who want to buckthe trend and help build a winner in South Florida.
40
FEATURESCONTENTS
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Your home for the Most Live Sports.
Call 1-800-XFINITY or visit mostlivesports.com for more information.
LEARN MORE ABOUT XFINITY’S SPORTS COVERAGE
Professional sporting events are subject to blackouts according to league broadcast rules. Not all programming and services are available in all areas. Pricing and Programming is subject to change. An additional
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your local Comcast offi ce for restrictions and complete details about service, prices and equipment. Comcast © 2011. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.NHL and the
NHL Shield are registered trademarks and NHL Network name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2011. All Rights
Reserved. NHL, the NHL Shield, Stanley Cup and Center Ice name and logo are registered trademarks and The Game Lives Where You Do and NHL Center Ice Extra are trademarks of the National Hockey League.
NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2011. All Rights Reserved.© 2011 Comcast. All rights reserved. © 2011 Eclipse Marketing Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. MAR-007
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FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM12
HOCKEY TALK
SHIFTS
OVERTIME
ICE DANCER
FREEZE FRAME
Panthers Ice Dancer Meg believes in the power oftalent and experience...and a good knife.
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The Hobey Baker Award honors some SouthFloridians and the Cats lock up some youth.
The Panthers break the sponsorship mold againwith the Lexus Rink At The BankAtlantic Center.
32
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MOLLERLooking for some offseason travel spots? Red Deer has some recommendations.
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RUSSOThe Canucks finally got the monkey off theirback and beat Chicago in the NHL’s best rivalry.
66
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly gives histhoughts on the Panthers’ future and more.
Go to FloridaPanthers.com to subscribe
Incredible photos...chilled. Catchthe most scintillating shots fromthe month that was in the NHL.
76
34
22
DEPARTMENTS volume 5. issue 3
EDITORIAL
Matthew F. SaccoEDITOR IN CHIEF
saccom@sselive.com
Matthew EllisART DIRECTOR
ellism@sselive.com
Glenn OdebralskiONLINE EDITOR
odebralskig@sselive.com
Justin Copertino EXECUTIVE EDITOR
copertinoj@sselive.com
Alain Poupart SENIOR WRITER
Eliot J. Schechter Ronald C. Modra
NHL Images, OHL Images Getty Images
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Randy Moller, Michael RussoCOLUMNISTS
PANTHERS INSIDER
BankAtlantic CenterOne Panther Parkway
Sunrise, FL 33323(954) 835-7000
e-mail: feedback@sselive.com
Panthers Insider is published monthly by Sunrise Sports & Entertainment.
Reproduction whole or in part prohibited without permission from the publisher.
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Tim KuhlEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
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Go to FloridaPanthers.com to subscribe*
PROSPECTS
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A CUT ABOVE
Toughness - epitomized here by stitches on Vancouver forward Raffi Torres’s face -can help lead a team to Stanley Cup Playoff glory. (PHOTO BY JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)
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THE LONE RANGER
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangerskneels on the ice dejected after he and theRangers lost 4-3 in double overtime against theWashington Capitals in Game Four of the EasternConference Quarterfinals.(PHOTO BY BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)
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Quote to Love By … From a Panthers Ice Dancer
“Use your talent, your
influence and your experience, not just to accomplish your
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dream in someone else.”THE DANCERName: Meg Nickname: Ariel (the Little Mermaid) Besides being an Ice Dancer:I currently work full-time for VPX Sports / Redline.Best part about being an Ice Dancer:The opportunity to act as a role model in my community and share my positive influence withfans of all ages.People don’t know: I'm a huge computergeek...okay maybe everyone knows that.Ultimate Goal: Travel the world as a motivationalspeaker.Your Best Physical Feature: My hair, it is all mine.No extensions here. Guilty Pleasure: I love to sleep in late on Sundays,watch a million episodes of CSI: Miami, and spendentirely too many hours shopping on the Internet. Position you’d play for the Panthers: Forward. I like to score.On a deserted island: Survival is key, a largesource for the creation of fire and a goodknife. I'm not your average girl, I need tosurvive so I can blog about it later.
SHIFTS
FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM30
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SHIFTS
IN EARLY APRIL Florida Panthers president & COO Micha el Yormarkannounced that the South Florida Lexus Dealers have become the namingrights partner of the BankAtlantic Center’s ice rink, as part of an extensionand expansion of the Pillar Partner’s longtime sponsorship agreement withthe team.
The Lexus Rink at the BankAtlantic Center, as it will be called movingforward, will be a ctivated in connection with all F lorida P anthers homegames and other related hocke y events and is par t of a fully-integr ated,multi-year marketing partnership with SSE.
“The ne w ‘L exus Rink At T he B ankAtlantic Center’ sponsorshipelement is indicative of SSE’s willingness to find new and unique mediums
to raise the brand awareness of our partners,” Yormark said. “That said, weare excited to continue our longstanding relationship with the South FloridaLexus Dealers and are looking forw ard to continuing and growing thispartnership for many years to come.”
“At Lexus we are excited about the innovative and exclusive nature ofthe new ‘Lexus Rink’ element of our sponsorship with the Florida Panthersand the BankAtlantic Center,” said D'Anne Duclos, General Manager of theLexus Southern Area. “As a longtime partner of theirs, we felt that now wasa good time to add a new and unique component to what has undoubtedlybeen a mutually beneficial partnership for the last decade-plus.”
Highlights of South Florida Lexus Dealers’ continued partnership withSSE, which has been in existence since the BankAtlantic Center opened in1998, also include the innov ative Lexus Lot, dominate in-arena signageincluding new “Lexus Rink” signage, and exposure through all of SSE ’sinternal media outlets including radio, television, online and print. The LexusLot encompasses the most convenient parking spots on the B ankAtlanticCenter property and is available exclusively to Lexus vehicle owners.
Lexus is an inaugur al P illar P artner and remains the official luxuryautomotive partner of the Florida Panthers and the BankAtlantic Center.
The Lexus Lot at the BankAtlantic Center.
The new ‘Lexus Rink At The BankAtlantic Center’ sponsorship element is indicative of SSE’s willingness to find new and unique
mediums to raise the brand awareness of our partners—— P A N T H E R S P R E S I D E N T A N D C O O M I C H A E L Y O R M A R K
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FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM34
PROSPECTSSHIFTS
Hobey Down SouthTHE HOBE Y B AKER Memorial A ward F oundation — mostfamous for presenting college hocke y’s version of the HeismanTrophy — announced the state of F lorida’s recipients for it’s 2011High School Character Award.
The Award is given in recognition of exemplary char acter andsportsmanship and is sponsored b y PROCON ManagementServices, Inc. and the Florida Scholastic Hockey League.
The 2011 recipients are:Joel Haines >> American Heritage High School Brock Donnelly >> Archbishop McCarthy High School Luke Jeske >> Boca Raton High School Jack Callahan >> Cardinal Gibbons High School Ella Weinke >> Cooper City High School Adam Gilbert >> Coral Glades High School Alex Peller >> Cypress Bay High School Tyler Maragh >> Cypress Bay High School Steven Pavlinec >> Eastside Jacob Solomon >> Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Nicholas Ansonia >> Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Matthew Musso >> North Broward Preparatory School Greg Perlman >> Spanish River High School Wyndham Batchelor >> St. Thomas Aquinas High School Kevin Rodengen >> St. Thomas Aquinas High School Timothy Young >> Taravella High School Zachary Weinger >> The University School Ernesto Adamo >> Western High School
Sign Them UpDURING A THREE WEEK SPAN in April when much of the NHL wasconsumed with the first round of the Stanle y Cup pla yoffs, P anthersGeneral Manager Dale Tallon was doing his part to secure the future by signing three prospects and defenseman Keaton Ellerby to professional contracts.
The 22-year-old Ellerby – who impressed in 56 games last season – earned a one-year, one-way contract while prospects F Quinton Howden, F JohnMcFarland and D Alex Petrovic earned entry-level contracts and an opportunity to make the big club during training camp.
QUINTON HOWDEN ALEX PETROVIC
KEATON ELLERBY
JOHN McFARLAND
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FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM40
Adding theRight
LW >> Gabriel LANDESKOG
C >> Ryan NUGENT-HOPKINS
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PANTHERS INSIDER 41
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW
As Panthers GM Dale Tallon proved in 2010 — and hopes to do in
2011 — the Draft can set your franchise up for the present, and the future.
PiecesB Y A L A I N P O U P A R T
C >> Jonathan HUBERDEAU
D >> Adam LARSSON
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PANTHERS INSIDER42
NE Y EAR LA TER, the plan hasn’tchanged.
For General Manager Dale Tallonand Assistant GM Mike Santos, it’s stillabout building a foundation throughthe draft. The Panthers took a big stepin the right direction with a 2010 dr aftclass that included three picks in eachof the first and second rounds andbrought in 13 prospects overall.
The challenge now is to follow it upwith another great draft, and the Panthers
certainly have set themselves up for success.The wheeling and dealing that enabled the Panthers to accumulate
the 13 pick s last year hasn’t stopped, and the result is a dr aft haul thatincluded 10 selections as of mid-April.
Santos doesn’t hesitate in saying the Panthers would like to add tothat total if at all possible.
“But even with 10 this y ear and the 13 we had last y ear, that shouldbe enough over the next two y ears to build our depth and build ourorganization with the number of players we have,” Santos said. “We hadtwo drafts in one last year. In a seven-round draft, we had 13 picks. Thisyear, we’re almost there again. So essentially, after this year’s draft we’rehopeful to have four drafts in two and what would typically take three orfour years to put together that type of depth in the organization and havethose types of prospects, we’ve hopefully done in a little over a year anda half, so we’ve cut the time in half.”
Santos is a big NFL fan, so it only made sense he’d bring up a teamfrom that sport to illustrate his point when it comes to the ultimate goal.
“It’s not too different than when the Dallas Cowbo ys built theirchampionship teams by trading Herschel Walker,” he said. “They got allthose draft picks and they hit on about 40 percent of them, but that’s allyou need to do. W hen you have more pick s, you have more chance ofhitting a home run. W ith 23 draft picks so far in two y ears, that’s threedrafts in two; if we can get another four or five dr aft picks, that’s fourdrafts in two, and if we hit on 40 percent of those guys like the DallasCowboys, then we’re going to have a hell of a future.”
In their first dr aft with the P anthers, Tallon and Santos focused onadding skilled players with character, but also with a lot of size.
Of Florida’s 13 2010 draft picks, eight stand at least 6-2, topped by 6-foot-4 prospects Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Petrovic.
Not surprisingly, the template remains the same for this year’s draft.“Since Dale and I ha ve been here, we’ve prea ched size and
character and speed, and skill,” Santos said. “But y ou can’t teach size.You can work on a kid’s skating and his speed, you can work on his skill,whether it’s puck-handling or shooting, but you can’t work on a kid’s size.He’s either 6-3 or he’s not 6-3. That’s something we’re definitely lookingat. Now, we wouldn’t pass up on a highly skilled player because he’s notbig enough, but overall our philosophy is going to be to continue to getbigger. The league is getting bigger and the league is getting faster , sosize, speed, character, those are the things we’re going to look for.”
In terms of positions, it’s pretty clear the Panthers need the most helpup front.
The organization is stocked with goaltending prospects, starting withformer second-round pick Jacob Markstrom, and the future also look s
good on the blue line with the likes of Gudbranson, Petrovic and currentPanthers Dmitry Kulikov, Keaton Ellerby and Jason Garrison.
After selecting Gudbr anson third over all last June, the P anthersagain will pick at No. 3 this year, and it would be surprising if they went foranother defenseman at that spot.
There’s always the possibility the P anthers could trade down fromthe No. 3 spot, but wherever they land in the first round, the expectationis that a forward will be the selection.
“There are more forwards than there are defensemen and our needis probably more forwards than defensemen, so it’s a good-looking draftfor us,” Tallon said before adding with a smile, “so I would think we’dprobably be looking more for a defenseman or a forward.”
For his part, Santos would make only one concession.“I can promise y ou it won’t be a goaltender ,” he said. “It only
makes sense that we need to build up our depth at the forw ardposition. If the right defenseman is there ... we also could ha ve theopportunity to trade that pick, to pick up maybe a scorer that’s a littlemore ready to pla y in the NHL than somebody who might need acouple of years of development.
“Our options are open. I guess that’s one good thing about finishingwhere we finished this y ear. We know we’ll get a good pla yer. But theneed is obviously scoring and more skill up front.”
While we don’t know who the Panthers eventually will pick in the firstround — or any of the rounds, for that matter — we can reasonably expectthat it will be another interesting two days for the organization.
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW
THE PANTHERS: 2 0 1 1 D R A F T P I C K S
Round 1: One selection — The Panthers have their own pick, thethird overall.
Round 2: Two selections — The Panthers have their own pick,plus Montreal’s pick, acquired in the 2010 trade involving C Dominic Moore.
Round 3: Four selections — The Panthers have their own pick, apick from Washington from the Denis Wideman trade, a pickfrom the New York Rangers from the Bryan McCabe trade, and apick from Boston from the 2010 trade involving F Nathan Horton.
Round 4: No selections — The Panthers traded their 4th-roundpick to Nashville for C Mike Santorelli.
Round 5: One selection — The Panthers have their own pick.
Round 6: One selection — The Panthers have their own pick.
Round 7: One selection — The Panthers have their own pick.
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PANTHERS INSIDER44
THE TOP PROSPECTSNORTH AMERICAN SKATERS
C >> RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS Red Deer, WHL
Final CSS ranking: 1Midterm ranking: 3Ht: 6-0 Wt: 164 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 69 games, 31 goals, 75 assists,106 points, 51 penalty minutes
The highest-rated North American skater inthe final Centr al S couting Ser vice r ankings,Nugent-Hopkins is a gifted offensive pla yer withgreat passing ability. “A couple of people high up— and not naming names — said Hopkins has thebest vision since N o. 99 (Wayne Gretzky),” saidNHL Central Scouting’s Peter Sullivan. “That’s thehighest compliment you can get.” At 164 pounds,Nugent-Hopkins will ha ve to get bigger andstronger before he’s ready to play in the NHL.
LW >> GABRIEL LANDESKOGKitchener, Ohl
Final CSS ranking: 2Midterm ranking: 3Ht: 6-0 Wt: 207 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 53 games, 36 goals, 30 assists,66 points, 61 penalty minutes
A native of Stockholm, Landeskog grew upadmiring fellow Swede P eter Forsberg and it
turns out there are a lot of similarities in their games. Like F orsberg,Landeskog is very good at both ends of the ice and he’s very strong onhis skates. Landeskog also is a leader , ha ving been captain forSweden’s under -16, under -17 and under -18 teams, as well asbecoming captain of the Kitchener Rangers at the age of 17. “Doesn’tneed one game in the American L eague next year — he should stepright into the NHL,” said Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards. “I think theteam that gets him next y ear is going to get a pla yer that helps themwin a Stanley Cup.”
C >> JONATHAN HUBERDEAUSaint John, QMJHL
Final CSS ranking: 3Midterm ranking: 4Ht: 6-1 Wt: 170 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 67 games, 43 goals, 62 assists,105 points, 88 penalty minutes
A ke y component of a Saint John teamthat went 32-0- 1 at home, Huberdeau isanother gifted offensive pla yer who, like Nugent -Hopkins, will needto get bigger and stronger . His la ck of size didn’t stop him fromgetting involved in ph ysical action, though. “He’s the type of pla yerwho can change the outcome of a game suddenly and quickly ,” saidCentral S couting’s Chris B ordeleau. “He’s displa yed unbeliev ablyquick hands and an ability to set up and score goals. He definitely hasNHL hands and playmaking ability. He’s also gritty and does not backdown when challenged.”
D >> DOUGIE HAMILTONNiagara, OHL
Final CSS ranking: 4Midterm ranking: 7Ht: 6-4 Wt: 187 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 67 games, 12 goals, 46 assists,58 points, 77 penalty minutes
Hamilton’s fa vorite NHL pla yer is Ja yBouwmeester, and there are similarities to the
former Panthers blueliner. The most obvious is the size, but Hamiltonalso skates very well for a taller defenseman. Hamilton’s brother, Freddie,was drafted by San Jose last June, and both of his parents competed inthe Olympics for Canada. “He’s a very special defenseman in ourleague,” said Niagar a head coa ch Mar ty Williamson. “He just has tounderstand the details and he’s going to be a very good pro. ... He’smature beyond his years.”
D >>NATHAN BEAULIEUSaint John, QMJHL
Final CSS ranking: 5Midterm ranking: 9Ht: 6-2 Wt: 174 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 65 games, 12 goals, 33 assists,45 points, 52 penalty minutes
Beaulieu skates with former high pick Dre wDoughty in the summer and has a lot of the sametraits, as an offensive defenseman with good skating ability . Beaulieu’sfather, Jacques, is the assistant coach for London of the OHL and washead coach and GM for Saint John when Nathan pla yed there as arookie in 2008-09. “He’ll be an offensive defenseman … he’s a goodskater, good puck-mover,” said Bordeleau. “He has a good shot and isvery poised with the puck. He’s a veteran who has a lot of responsibilitiesfor Saint John.”
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW, continued on page 48
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW
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PANTHERS INSIDER48
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW, continued from page 45
C >> SEAN COUTURIERDrummondville, QMJHL
Final CSS ranking: 6Midterm ranking: 2Ht: 6-4 Wt: 197 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 58 games, 36 goals, 60 assists,96 points, 36 penalty minutes
In addition to possessing the kind of size thePanthers w ant, Couturier is a great offensive
player who doesn’t neglect his own zone. Couturier finished with 96points this past season, the same total he recorded the previous y earwhen he became the first 17-year-old to lead the league in scoring sincea player by the name of Sidne y Crosby. Couturier was born in Arizonaand his father , Sylvain, played 33 games for the L os Angeles Kingsbetween 1988-89 and 1991-92. “Sean has excellent puck-handling andplaymaking ability; he sees the ice and reads the pla y very well,” saidCentral Scouting’s Edwards. “He’s extremely smart and gets himself intogood scoring position. He pla ys a solid two-w ay game and is veryresponsible defensively.”
Other top NORTH AMERICAN prospects
LW >> SVEN BARTSCHIPortland, WHL
Final CSS ranking: 7Midterm ranking: 6Ht: 5-10 Wt: 181 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 66 games, 34 goals, 51 assists,85 points, 74 penalty minutes
C >> RYAN STROMENiagara, OHL
Final CSS ranking: 8Midterm ranking: 19Ht: 6-0 Wt: 175 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 65 games, 33 goals, 73 assists,106 points, 82 penalty minutes
C >> VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOVLondon, OHL
Final CSS ranking: 11Midterm ranking: 17Ht: 6-0 Wt: 166 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 68 games, 30 goals, 38 assists,68 points, 49 penalty minutes
C >> ZACK PHILLIPSSaint John, QMJHL
Final CSS ranking: 15Midterm ranking: 12Ht: 6-1 Wt: 178 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 67 games, 38 goals, 57 assists,95 points, 16 penalty minutes
THE TOP PROSPECTSEUROPEAN SKATERS
D >> ADAM LARSSONSkelleftea, SWEDENFinal CSS ranking: 1Midterm ranking: 1Ht: 6-3 Wt: 200 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 37 games, 1 goals, 8assists, 9 points, 41 penalty minutes
Larsson just turned 18 lastNovember, but he’s been playing inthe Swedish Elite League since hewas 16 — following in the footstepsof longtime NHL defensemanCalle Johansson and currentTampa B ay Lightning bluelinerVictor Hedman. Larsson, whosefather, Robert, was drafted by theKings in the sixth round of the1988 dr aft, has a similar style tothat of Hedman — they’re both tall,smooth-skating defensemen withthe ability to move the puck.“Adam is one of the best skaters in this y ear’s dr aft,” said Centr alScouting’s Edwards. “He has excellent speed and mobility . He alsohas patient puck-handling abilities and can surprise an opponent witha solid hit.”
Other top EUROPEAN prospects
C >> MIKA ZIBANEJAD, Djurgarden, SWEDENFinal CSS ranking: 2Midterm ranking: 3Ht: 6-2 Wt: 191 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 26 games, 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points, 2 penalty minutes
D >> JONAS BRODIN, Farjestad, SWEDENFinal CSS ranking: 3Midterm ranking: 4Ht: 6-1 Wt: 169 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 42 games, 0 goals, 4 assists, 4 points, 12 penalty minutes
RW >> JOEL ARMIA, Assat, FINLANDFinal CSS ranking: 4Midterm ranking: 2Ht: 6-3 Wt: 191 Shoots: Right2010-11 stats: 48 games, 18 goals, 11 assists, 29 points, 24 penalty minutes
RW >> DMITRI JASKIN, Slavia, CZECH REP.Final CSS ranking: 5Midterm ranking: 5Ht: 6-1 Wt: 196 Shoots: Left2010-11 stats: 33 games, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points,16 penalty minutes
NHL DRAFT PREVIEW
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2010 >> Florida >> D Erik GudbransonYet to play in NHL
2009 >> Colorado >> C Matt Duchene2 NHL seasons (2009-10 to 2010-11), 1 team(Colorado), 1 All-Star Game, NHL All-Rookiefirst team (2009-10)
2008 >> Atlanta >> D Zach Bogosian3 NHL seasons (2008-09 to 2010-11), 1 team (Atlanta)
2007 >> Phoenix >> C Kyle Turris2 NHL seasons (2008-09 to 2010-11), 1 team (Phoenix)
2006 >> Chicago >> C Jonathan Toews4 NHL seasons (2007-08 to 2010-11), 1 team(Chicago), 2 All-Star Games, Conn SmytheTrophy (2009-10), NHL All-Rookie first team(2007-08)
2005 >> Carolina >> D Jack Johnson4 NHL seasons (2007-08 to 2010-11), 1 team (Los Angeles)
2004 >> Chicago >> D Cam Barker5 NHL seasons (2006-07 to 2010-11), 2 teams (Chicago, Minnesota)
2003 >> Florida >> C Nathan Horton7 NHL seasons (2003-04 to 2010-11), 2 teams (Florida, Boston)
2002 >> Florida >> D Jay Bouwmeester8 NHL seasons (2002-03 to 2010-11), 2 teams (Florida, Calgary), 2 All-Star Games,NHL All-Rookie first team (2002-03)
2001 >> Tampa Bay >> C Alexander Svitov3 NHL seasons (2002-03 to 2006-07), 2 teams (Tampa Bay, Columbus)
2000 >> Minnesota >> RW Marian Gaborik10 NHL seasons (2000-01 to 2010-11), 2 teams (Minnesota, N.Y. Rangers), 2 All-StarGames
1999 >> Vancouver >> C Henrik Sedin10 NHL seasons (2000-01 to 2010-11), 1 team(Vancouver), 2 All-Star Games, Art Ross Trophy(2009-10), Hart Memorial Trophy (2009-10),NHL All-Star first team (2009-10)
1998 >> San Jose >> D Brad Stuart11 NHL seasons (1999-00 to 2010-11), 5 teams(San Jose, Boston, Calgary, Los Angeles,Detroit), 1st-team NHL-All Rookie team (1999-00)
1997 >> Los Angeles >> C Olli Jokinen12 NHL seasons (1998-99 to 2010-11), 6 teams (Los Angeles, N.Y. Islanders, Florida,Phoenix, Calgary, N.Y. Rangers, Calgary), 1 All-Star Game
1996 >> N.Y. Islanders >> C J.P. Dumont12 NHL seasons (1998-99 to 2010-11), 3 teams (Chicago, Buffalo, Nashville)
1995 >> Los Angeles >> D Aki Berg9 NHL seasons (1995-96 to 2005-06), 2 teams (Los Angeles, Toronto)
1994 >> Ottawa >> C Radek Bonk14 NHL seasons (1994-95 to 20008-09), 3 teams (Ottawa, Montreal, Nashville), two All-Star Games
1993 >> Tampa Bay >> C Chris Gratton15 NHL seasons (1993-94 to 2008-09), 7 teams (Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay,Buffalo, Phoenix, Colorado, Florida, Tampa Bay,Columbus)
1992 >> San Jose >> D Mike Rathje13 NHL seasons (1993-94 to 2006-07), 2teams (San Jose, Philadephia)
1991 >> New Jersey >> D Scott Niedermayer17 NHL seasons (1992-93 to 2009-10), 2 teams (New Jersey, Anaheim), Five All-StarGames, Three-time first-team All-Star, one-timesecond-team All-Star, first-team NHL All-Rookie Team (1992-93), James Norris winner(2003-04), Conn Smythe winner (2006-07)
THE THIRD OVERALL PICK IN THE LAST 20 DRAFTSWhat kind of pla yer can the Panthers expect to get with the third over all pick (assuming the y don’ttrade up or trade down)? Here’s a look at the last 20 pla yers selected third overall in the NHL E ntryDraft and the NHL career they’ve had.
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FLORIDAPANTHERS.COM54
FREE AGENCY PREVIEW
The Panthers and GM Dale Tallon are free to be aggressive come free agency.
Who will they target and will they get what they want?
Agentsof
ChangeB Y A L A I N P O U P A R T
Clockwise from top: C Brad Richards, G Ilya Bryzgalov, D Kevin Bieksa, LW Jussi Jokinen, C Brooks Laich, D Anton Babchuk, LW Ville Leino, D James Wisniewski
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PANTHERS INSIDER 55
T’S NOT JUST IN THE DR AFT where the Panthers have positioned themselves to be
able to accomplish a lot.
After clearing cap space last season by dealing several veterans who didn’t figure in the
team’s long-term plans an yway, the P anthers also ha ve put themselves in a position to
reshape the roster through free agency.
In fact, the Panthers should be able to do just about as much shopping on the free ag ent
market this summer as they want.
Some reports suggest the Panthers will have between $25 million and $30 million to spend
on free agents, while NHL salary website capg eek.com projects the team as ha ving more than
$40 million of cap space based on last year’s salary cap of $59.4 million.
Regardless of where the exact figure lands, the Panthers will have a tremendous amount of
flexibility.
“We are in a very unique situation,” said Assistant GM Mike Santos. “And it w asn’t without
thought, it wasn’t without a plan. We wanted to be in this situation. We’ve got enough cap space,
enough payroll or enough mone y that we ha ve to spend this summer that we can g et the big-
time player if we want him out there and he wants to come play for us and we can also get quantity
as well. ... We can get quantity and quality.”
The Panthers typically have signed about three or four free agents every year, but that number
could be significantly higher this summer.
For one thing, the Panthers ended the recently-completed season with only ten players under
contract for 2011-12 — David Booth, Rostislav Olesz, Stephen Weiss, Evgeny Dadonov, Scott
Timmins, Dmitry Kulikov, Mike Weaver, Jason Garrison, Michal Repik and Scott Clemmensen.
The Panthers obviously will re-sign some of their 15 unrestricted or restricted free ag ents,
but not all of them. That means they’ll have to bring in some veterans from other teams.
Fans hoping for the signing of two or three superstars to turn the Panthers into Stanley Cup
contenders overnight will be disappointed because this summer’s free ag ent class lacks the
marquee names.
The most prominent player available probably is Dallas center Br ad Richards, who’s a very
good player but made just his first All-Star Game appearance this season.
“It’s a good free agent pool,” said GM Dale Tallon. “I mean, there are not a lot of superstars,
but there are a lot of good players that’ll make our team better. And that’s what we’re all about —
we’ve got to get better.”
Exactly how many free agents around the league the Panthers go after will depend on how
many of their own free agents they re-sign.
Or it could be vice versa.
“We have such flexibility with the open market this year that really there’s no (Panthers) free
agent that’s guaranteed to come ba ck here,” Santos said. “W e really have the flexibility to see
what we can do on July 1 and decide then whether we want to bring back an existing player or not
bring back an existing player, depending on who we’re able to attract on July 1. If we can get better
at a position, we’ll get better at it, whether we have a free agent that’s on our team now that can
play that position, (or) if we can get a better player, we’re going to get a better player. That’s what
we’re going to do. We’re going to get the best player we can for each position that’s open, whether
he’s in the organization now or he’s not in the organization.”
The biggest names among the P anthers’ own unrestricted free ag ents are goalie Tomas
Vokoun and winger Sergei Samsonov, who was acquired in a trade in late February.
“It’s a good free agent pool, I mean, there are not a lot of superstars, but there are a lot of good players that’ll make our team
better. And that’s what we’re all about — we’ve got to get better.”—— P A N T H E R S G M D A L E T A L L O N
IOP
POSI
TE: G
ETTY
IMAG
ES
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Both Vokoun and Samsonov indicated after the
season they wanted to return to the P anthers, but
Tallon and Santos also ha ve to decide if the y’re
good fits for the team at this time.
“Nothing’s changed as far as Tomas and I and
his agent, and what our goals and ambitions are,”
Tallon said. “He has stated that he’d like to remain a
Panther and we will look at every possible angle as
far as getting our team better and who’s the guy
that’s going to be the star ting goalie for us. W e’ve
got a lot of time to make that decision.”
Vokoun and Samsonov like the direction the
organization is heading in, and the goal is to sell
other veter ans on the blueprint put in pla ce b y
Tallon and Santos.
Of course, it doesn’t hur t that T allon helped
build a Stanley Cup winner in Chicago.
“We have to continue to make this a desirable
place to come play,” Santos said. “We know all the
benefits of South F lorida, whether it be the
weather, the no-state-income tax, the beautiful
facilities we ha ve and the great fans we ha ve —
and I don’t just say that; we have terrific fans that
have stuck with us for 10 y ears. W e ha ve to
convince these pla yers that we mean business
and we want to win and we want to win now. And
that’ll be the deciding factor. The players that have
been with Dale and I for a y ear now realize that,
and that’ll be our biggest asset when it comes to
attracting other players.”
PANTHERS TARGETS?Here is a look at the pla yers scheduled to become
unrestricted free agents, as of mid-April, who could
be of interest to the P anthers. T he list doesn’t
include older players since it would be surprising to
see the Panthers go after someone in his mid-30s.
In keeping with a usual NHL lineup, we’ll include
12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies.
FORWARDS
BRAD RICHARDS, Dallas
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 195 Age on July 1: 31
2010-11 salary: $7.8 million
2010-11 stats: 28-49-77, plus-1 in 72 games
The skinn y: Richards has to be mentioned
because he’s clearly the prize of the free agent
class, but it’s been suggested for a while that he’s
almost a lock to wind up with the Rangers.
BROOKS LAICH, Washington
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 200 Age on July 1: 28
2010-11 salary: $2.4 million
2010-11 stats: 16-32-48, plus-14 in 82 games
The skinny: Laich gets lost on a Washington team
with stars like Ovechkin, B ackstrom, Semin and
Green, but he’s a solid two-pla yer with three 20-
goal seasons on his resume. He’s also in his prime.
It is, however, likely to be difficult to pry him a way
from Washington.
CURTIS GLENCROSS, Calgary
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 200 Age on July 1: 28
2010-11 salary: $1.2 million
2010-11 stats: 24-19-43, plus-6 in 79 games
The skinn y: Glencross is coming off a season
where he scored a career -best 24 goals and he
finished with a positive plus -minus r atio for the
fourth consecutive season. He’s got nice size and
also is entering his prime.
GERR
Y TH
OMAS
/NHL
I VIA
GET
TY IM
AGES
Curtis Glenncross
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ALEX TANGUAY, Calgary
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 192 Age on July 1: 31
2010-11 salary: $1.7 million
2010-11 stats: 22-47-69, even plus-minus ratio in
79 games
The skinn y: Tanguay rebounded from a down
season to score 22 goals for Calgary after signing a
one-year contract last July. With four seasons of at
least 25 goals, Tanguay definitely has the offensive
skills and the Panthers were said to be interested in
signing him last summer . The one dr awback with
Tanguay is his age.
JUSSI JOKINEN, Carolina
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 198 Age of July 1: 28
2010-11 salary: $1.9 million
2010-11 stats: 19-33-52, plus-3 in 70 games
The skinny: Jokinen couldn’t match his breakout 35-
goal performance, but he still enjoyed a solid 2010-11
season. Jokinen has the kind of offensive skills the
Panthers could use and he’s still a young player.
ALEXANDER FROLOV, N.Y. Rangers
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 210 Age on July 1: 29
2010-11 salary: $3 million
2010-11 stats: 7-9-16, plus-4 in 43 games
The skinny: Frolov was one of the top offensive
players available as a free agent last summer and he
was a major disappointment after signing a one-
year deal with the Rangers. But you can’t forget that
this is a guy who had seasons of 35 and 32 goals
with the Los Angeles Kings.
VILLE LEINO, Philadelphia
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 190 Age on July 1: 27
2010-11 salary: $825,000
2010-11 stats: 19-34-53, plus-14 in 81 games
The skinny: The native of F inland originally w as
signed as a free agent by the Red Wings, who have
a knack for finding those highly skilled E uropean
players. Leino had a breakout season with the Flyers
and there’s no telling how high his ceiling is.
TIM CONNOLLY, Buffalo
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 190 Age on July 1: 30
2010-11 salary: $4.5 million
2010-11 stats: 13-29-42, minus-10 in 68 games
The skinny: The fifth overall pick in the 1999 NHL
Entry Draft, Connolly is a steady pla yer with good
leadership skills.
TOMAS FLEISCHMANN, Colorado
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 192 Age of July 1: 27
2010-11 salary: $2.6 million
2010-11 stats: 12-19-31, plus-2 in 45 games
The skinn y: Fleischmann, who w as tr aded from
Washington to Colorado last November for veteran
defenseman Scott Hannan, has big-time offensive
skills, as evidenced b y his 21 points in 22 games
with the Avalanche. But he will have to be checked
out physically after he missed the last three months
of the season because of a pulmonary embolism.
NIKOLAY ZHERDEV, Philadelphia
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 203 Age on July 1: 26
2010-11 salary: $2 million
2010-11 stats: 16-6-22, plus-5 in 56 games
The skinny: Zherdev’s return to the NHL after his
one season in the KHL w as mostly disappointing,
but he’s still a very young player with three seasons
of at least 23 goals on his resume.
RADIM VRBATA, Phoenix
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 197 Age on July 1: 30
2010-11 salary: $3 million
2010-11 stats: 19-29-48, plus-5 in 79 games
The skinny: Dale Tallon acquired Vrbata in a trade
when he was GM of the B lackhawks, but it w as in
Phoenix where the Czech native blossomed. Vrbata
has had seasons of 27 and 24 goals for the Coyotes.
ERIK COLE, Carolina
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 205 Age on July 1: 32
2010-11 salary: $3 million
2010-11 stats: 26-26-52, minus-1 in 82 games
The skinny: Cole is coming off his best season since
2006-07 and he remains one of the best skaters in
the game. But he has spent all except part of one of
his nine seasons with Carolina, and it figures to be
difficult to lure him away from the Hurricanes.
Other unrestricted free agent forwards around
the league: Jason Arnott , W ashington; Sean
Bergenheim, T ampa B ay; Pascal Dupuis ,
Pittsburgh; Radek Dvorak, Atlanta; Ben Eager,
San Jose; Simon Gagne , T ampa B ay; Michal
Handzus, Los Angeles; Milan Hejduk, Colorado;
Chris Higgins , V ancouver; Tomas K opecky,
Chicago; Alexei K ovalev, P ittsburgh; Jamie
“We are in a very unique situation, and itwasn’t without thought, it wasn’t without a plan.
We wanted to be in this situation.”—— P A N T H E R S A S S I S T A N T G M M I K E S A N T O S
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Langenbrunner, Dallas; Chad LaR ose, Carolina; Antti Miettinen ,
Minnesota; Fredrik Modin, Calgary; Alexei Ponikarovsky, Los Angeles;
Vaclav Prospal, N.Y. Rangers; Michael Ryder, Boston; Teemu Selanne,
Anaheim; Cory Stillman, Carolina; Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh; Raffi Torres,
Vancouver; Scottie Upshall, Columbus.
DEFENSEMEN
CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF, Vancouver
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 203 Age on July 1: 28
2010-11 salary: $3.4 million
2010-11 stats: 14-36-50, plus-19 in 79 games
The skinny: The native of Moers, West Germany, scored 14 goals each of the
last two seasons and his plus -minus ratio is a combined plus -53 in that time
span. On the down side, he’s a little price y and might be reluctant to lea ve a
Stanley Cup contender.
TOMAS KABERLE, Boston
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 214 Age on July 1: 33
2010-11 salary: $4.25 million
2010-11 stats: 4-43-47, plus-4 in 82 games
The skinny: Kaberle’s age and price tag makes him unlikely to land with the
Panthers, but his puck-moving ability makes him worth mentioning nonetheless.
ANTON BABCHUK, Calgary
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 212 Age on July 1: 27
2010-11 salary: $1.4 million
2010-11 stats: 11-24-35, plus-14 in 82 games
The skinny: The tall Russian with the big slap shot has 27 goals in his last
two NHL seasons and he’s entering his prime. It also should be noted that
Babchuk played in Chicago when Dale Tallon was GM there.
JONI PITKANEN, Carolina
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210 Age on July 1: 27
2010-11 salary: $4.5 million
2010-11 stats: 5-30-35, minus-2 in 72 games
The skinny: The fourth selection in the 2002 dr aft (right after the Panthers took
Jay Bouwmeester), Pitkanen has played for the Flyers, Oilers and Hurricanes. He’s
a big body with good offensive skills, although his price tag might be a bit too hefty.
JAMES WISNIEWSKI, Montreal
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 208 Age on July 1: 27
2010-11 salary: $3.25 million
2010-11 stats: 10-41-51, minus-14 in 75 games
The skinny: Similar in many ways to former Panthers defenseman Dennis
Wideman, Wisniewski is a gifted offensive pla yer who excels on the power
play. He’s another player who was in Chicago when Tallon was there.
KEVIN BIEKSA, Vancouver
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 198 Age on July 1: 30
2010-11 salary: $3.5 million
2010-11 stats: 6-16-22, plus-32 in 66 games
The skinny: A physical defenseman with some offensive ability, Bieksa tied
for second in the league in plus-minus ratio this past season. He’s played only
for the Canucks since making his NHL debut in the 2005-06 season.
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Other unrestricted free ag ent defensemen around the
league: Marc-Andre Bergeron, Tampa Bay; Nick Boynton, Philadelphia;
Eric Brewer, Tampa Bay; Jonathan Ericsson, Detroit; Hal Gill, Montreal;
Roman Hamrlik , Montreal; Scott Hannan , Washington; Randy Jones ,
Tampa Bay; Ed Jovanovski, Phoenix; Andrei Markov , Montreal; Radek
Martinek, N.Y. Islanders; Bryan McCabe, N.Y. Rangers; Steve Montador,
Buffalo; Shane O’Brien , Nashville; Craig Rivet , Columbus; Sami Salo ,
Vancouver; Karlis Skrastins, Dallas; Brent Sopel, Montreal; Niclas Wallin,
San Jose; Ian White, San Jose
GOALIES
RAY EMERY, Anaheim
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 196 Age on July 1: 28
2010-11 salary: $500,000
2010-11 stats: 7-2-0 record, 2.28 GAA, .926 save percentage in 10 games
The skinny: That Emery was able to come back at all from a major hip injury
was considered almost a miracle, but then he turned in a great performance
late in the season with the Ducks. Given his hip, he still represents somewhat
of a risk and might have a hard time landing a lucrative contract.
ILYA BRYZGALOV, Phoenix
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 213 Age on July 1: 31
2010-11 salaray: $4.5 million
2010-11 stats:36-20-10 record, 2.48 GAA, .921 save percentage in 68 games
The skinny: While he might not get many mentions when the top goalies in
the league are discussed, Bryzgalov has finished with a sa ve percentage of
.920 or higher three of the last four seasons.
Other unrestricted free agent goalies around the league:
Alex Auld, Montreal; Brian Boucher, Philadelphia; Peter Budaj, Colorado;
Ty Conklin , St. L ouis; Mathieu Garon , Columbus; Josh Harding ,
Minnesota; Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Toronto; Patrick Lalime, Buffalo;
Pascal Leclaire, Ottawa; Joey MacDonald, Detroit; Mike Smith, Tampa
Bay; Jose Theodore, Minnesota; Marty Turco, Chicago
D Karl Alzner >> Washington
D Zach Bogosian >> Atlanta
F Tyler Bozak >> Toronto
F Troy Brouwer >> Chicago
F Ryan Callahan >> N.Y. Rangers
F Kyle Chipchura >> Anaheim
F Andrew Cogliano>> Edmonton
G Corey Crawford>> Chicago
D Drew Doughty>> Los Angeles
F Brandon Dubinsky>> N.Y. Rangers
F Michael Frolik>> Chicago
F Colton Gillies>> Minnesota
D Josh Gorges >> Montreal
D Matt Hunwick >> Colorado
F Tyler Kennedy >> Pittsburgh
F Andrei Kostitsyn >> Montreal
F Andrew Ladd >> Atlanta
F Maxim Lapierre >> Vancouver
F Clarke MacArthur >> Toronto
F Brad Marchand >> Boston
D Brendan Mikkelson >> Calgary
F Kyle Okposo >> N.Y. Islanders
F T.J. Oshie >> St. Louis
F Max Pacioretty >> Montreal
F Zach Parise >> New Jersey
D Roman Polak >> St. Louis
F Brad Richardson>> Los Angeles
D Luke Schenn >> Toronto
F Devin Setoguchi >> San Jose
D Ladislav Smid >> Edmonton
F Drew Stafford >> Buffalo
F Steven Stamkos>> Tampa Bay
D Anton Stralman >> Columbus
F Brandon Sutter >> Carolina
F Kyle Turris >> Phoenix
G Semyon Varlamov>> Washington
F Jakub Voracek >> Columbus
D Shea Weber >> Nashville
F Blake Wheeler >> Atlanta
D Keith Yandle >> Phoenix
UNRESTRICTED
D Joe Callahan >> 28
F Ryan Carter >> 27
F Darcy Hordichuk >> 30
F Marty Reasoner >> 34
F Sergei Samsonov >> 32
D Alexander Sulzer >> 27
G Tomas Vokoun >> 34
RESTRICTED
F Niclas Bergfors >> 24
F Steve Bernier >> 26
F Byron Bitz >> 26
F Shawn Matthias >> 23
F Michal Repik >> 22
F Mike Santorelli >> 25
F Jack Skille >> 24
TOP RESTRICTED FREE AGENTSIt’s a lot more difficult to land a restricted free agent because teams can
match any offer or receive compensation by extending a qualifying offer or
going to arbitration. That said, here is a list of the top players scheduled to
become restricted free agents, as of mid-April.
PANTHERS FREE AGENTS
2010LW Triston Grant >> NashvilleLW Chris Higgins >> CalgaryD Nathan Paetsch >> ColumbusLW Andrew Peters>> New JerseyRW Bill Thomas >> PittsburghD Mike Weaver >> St. Louis
2009G Scott Clemmensen>> New JerseyD Jordan Leopold >> CalgaryD Dennis Seidenberg >> CarolinaLW Jeff Taffe >> PittsburghD Clay Wilson >> Atlanta
2008G Chris Beckford-Tseu
>> St. LouisD Rory Fitzpatrick>> PhiladelphiaLW Cory Stillman >> Ottawa
2007RW Radek Dvorak >> St. LouisC Brett McLean >> ColoradoRW Richard Zednik>> N.Y. Islanders
2006G Ed Belfour >> TorontoD Ruslan Salei >> Anaheim
2005LW Martin Gelinas >> CalgaryC Chris Gratton >> ColoradoC Jozef Stumpel>> Los Angeles
PANTHERS FREE AGENT SIGNINGSTHROUGH THE YEARS
Christian Ehrhoff
(Player’s age listed as of July 1)
GERR
Y TH
OMAS
/NHL
I VIA
GET
TY IM
AGES
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RANDY MOLLER
THE PANTHERS EXPERIENCED the usual “ups and downs” as far aswins and losses this year, and as usual, my travels with the team as radio play-by-play announcer had its “hits and misses” as well. As most of y ou know, Ilike to venture out while traveling, and experience the “local flavors”…usuallythe watering holes and dining establishments in each city. I do consider myselfa creature of habit, but in the r are instance, my body and mind drift me todifferent, and sometimes strange places. Here is my annual review.
Edmonton/Vancouver/Calgary road trip: Visiting family and friends usuallygobbles up a lot of my time out in Western Canada, but I was able to come outa winner at one of the Casinos in Edmonton. Vancouver is my favorite city inthe league to visit but our shor t time there only allowed me m y y earlypilgrimage to Chinatown for some Dim Sum (lunch). On the last leg of theroad trip, I went to m y cheap brother’s house in Calgary for a barbecue. T hesteaks were so thin that I could see through them.
Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal road trip: Toronto is the “center of the hocke yworld” and a trip would not be complete without a (re-fresher) visit to theHockey Hall of Fame, Keg Steakhouse, and the new Real Sports Bar whichis hooked onto the back of the Air Canada Centre, home of the mighty MapleLeafs. This sports bar is arguably the largest in the world, topped off by an 80by 60 foot main TV monitor , surrounded b y 50 other screens. It canaccommodate up to 1,500 screaming spor ts fans and the food is prettygood too. In M ontreal, it w as perfect to w alk in “old town” and gr ab asmoked meat sandwich at S chwartz’s. In Ottawa I had m y annual lunchwith the Prime Minister…just kidding.
Anaheim/Los Angeles/Phoenix road trip:The team flew out a couple ofdays early before meeting the Ducks in early December, so I rented a carand went on a mini road trip of my own. Straight East of Newport Beach,California, there is a little two lane road that winds up and over the SanGabriel Mountains and down into Palm Springs. At the summit (4,000ft.), I climbed out of m y rental to discover snow at the side of theroad. One hour later I pulled into Palm Desert for an outdoorlunch, dining at a comfortable 72 degrees. After driving southand turning left (west) at route 7 8, I climbed ba ck up over themountains and enjoyed the sunset in Escondido at the best Mexicanrestaurant I have ever eaten at. The team climbed Camelback Mountain inScottsdale, Arizona in a team building exercise on their off day there, but Icooled my heels haggling over the price of “home made” cowbo y bootsand belt buckles with a local out of the back of his ’67 Ford half-ton truck.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS
Washington, DC: Beautiful City with massive governmentbuildings. T ake the DC trolle y and vie w the sights. I highlyrecommend it.
Buffalo, NY: Dreary downtown, but chicken wings and LabattBlue will keep you sane on Chippewa Street.
New York City: The team stays in Times Square, whichis very busy with tourists. I head to the V illage to watchlive music and taste the best Italian food on the planet.
Boston: The perfect da y - w alk the F reedom T rail, clam chowder atRemington’s on B oston Common, happ y hour at Y e Old Union OysterHouse (dozens of oysters on the half shell and the freshest Sam Adams ontap you have ever tasted), and dinner at a family owned Italian restaurant inthe North End.
Chicago: I could spend a week here and not touch the surfa ce of the greatbars, restaurants, and neighborhoods…it could be my favorite city if I was ableto spend more time there!
Tampa: Burns Steakhouse, Ybor City.
Philadelphia: Front Street, Cheesesteak s (Gino’s) and Atlantic City is only50 boring driving miles away.
Carolina: Nice people but nothing to do/see, although the press room at theRBC Center has the best press food in the League.
New Jersey: Newark? Take the train into New York City to get the smell off.
Atlanta: Tour the Coca-Cola museum. Stop at The Varsity for a chilidog thengo back to bed.
Columbus: Stay in bed.
Long Island: Walk across the desolateparking lot from the Marriott to theColiseum, win the game and hope to hellto fly out immediately.
See you at the rink on Opening Night.
THE ROAD IT WAS...
Pi
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THE CAPTAIN’S ‘C,’ which was awkward for a goaltender to begin with,may have been removed from his chest before the season.
But on April 26, Roberto Luongo proved once and for all that he is indeedthe leader inside the Vancouver Canucks’ locker room.
It wasn’t just on the ice, where the under-fire netminder was showing thehockey world the “Real Luongo.” It was in the locker room, between the thirdperiod and overtime, after Luongo and the Canucks’ Stanley Cup aspirationstook another “ginormous” punch to the gut from the relentless ChicagoBlackhawks.
With the Canuck s and Luongo less than two minutes from exorcizingtheir Chicago demons b y finally doing a way with the white whale that is theBlackhawks, captain Jonathan Toews, 14 months prior an Olympic hero onthis same sheet of ice as L uongo’s teammate for Canada, sent the tense-filled Game 7 to overtime.
Canucks fans already entered the game teetering on the brink of insanityafter the Blackhawks had climbed back from an 0-3 deficit to force a winner-take-all game to advance to Round 2.
So y ou can imagine the sheer panic inside R ogers Arena after thedefending Stanley Cup champions forced do-or-die time.
But as L uongo sat at his stall inside that quiet Canuck s’ locker roombefore overtime, he flashed ba ck to that Olympic experience. In F ebruary2010, it was the United States’ Za ch Parise who scored a late goal to forceovertime. He realized everything aligned identically , thought of Sidne yCrosby’s gold-medal clinching O T goal and finally stood up.What did Luongo say?
“Somebody’s going to be a hero,” Luongo told reporters afterward. “‘Thisis what legends are made of. This is what it’s all about.’
“I said, ‘This is Game 7 OT. It doesn’t get any better than this. This is what we
dream of as a kid. Somebody is going to take the opportunity and be a hero.’”The somebody ? L uongo’s good buddy , Alex Burrow s, who scored
shortly into over time after Luongo made a game-sa ving, — heck — season-saving stop on Patrick Sharp’s point-blank one-timer on a power play.
Burrows may have been the hero, but it was Luongo who stepped up, spokeup and displayed his character for all his teammates to see and rally behind.
Make no mistake, L uongo may have led Canada to a gold medal in theOlympics. But until L uongo proves he can be his team’s ba ckbone in theactual NHL playoffs and deliver the Canucks their first Stanley Cup, Luongowill always have his doubters.
But in this game, Luongo showed he’s indeed a big-game goaltender.The former Panthers goalie was flawless from start to finish, his shutout
ruined only because of a determined goal b y the B lackhawks’ mostdetermined player, Toews.
But Luongo came through in the end, meaning on this night at least, heshut his critics up.
Hey, there is reason for Luongo to have doubters. In an elimination gametwo years ago to Chicago, L uongo gave up seven goals. In an eliminationgame last postseason to Chicago, he gave up five.
Up 3-1, up 3-2 in this series, L uongo was pulled in consecutive games.That even put an element of doubt into his coach, Alain Vigneault, who madethe risky, yet gutsy decision in Game 6 to bench Luongo in what had to be amost humbling experience and start Luongo’s backup, Cory Schneider.
In an unbelievable script not even a Hollywood screen writer could havedreamt up, Schneider got hur t while allowing Micha el Frolik’s penalty-shottying goal. In came Luongo, who ultimately gave up the losing goal in overtimeto Ben Smith on an awkward lunge. So the pressure on Luongo heading intoGame 7 was as great as it’s ever been.
SLAYING THE WHITE WHALE
HOCKEYTALK
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MICHAEL RUSSO
Pi
“You always say in tough times, that’s when you see the true character ofsomebody,” Luongo said. “Obviously it was a big game in my career.”
But Luongo knows the pressure is far from over . The opening-roundseries ma y ha ve felt like a Stanle y Cup win, par tly because of what theBlackhawks had done to the Canuck s the two previous springs, par tlybecause the Canuck s nearly coughed up a 3-0 lead to their nemesis, butthere’s three rounds to go.
The Canucks rolled through the cutthroat Western Conference to finishwith the most points in the NHL to secure their first-ever President’s Trophy.
They’re arguably deeper than any team in the NHL. Luongo and S chneider shared the Jennings T rophy for lowest goals
against, with Luongo leading the NHL with 38 wins and near the top in sa ve
percentage and goals against average. Their blue line is overstuffed with depth.One year after Henrik Sedin led the NHL in scoring, Daniel Sedin did the
same, making them the first brothers to follow one another as scoringchamps. Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler tied for fourth with 41 goals apiece.
Excluding shootout goals, the Canuck s led the league with 258 goalsand gave up the fewest (180), making them the first team since the legendaryMontreal Canadiens s quads of the late 19 70s to lead the league in bothcategories.
The Canucks barely missed becoming the first team since the 1984-85Islanders to lead the league in power play and penalty killing percentages.
Merely getting through R ound 1 is not a cceptable. Same with R ound 2and 3, too.
After such a magnificent regular season, the Canuck s are starving for aparade down Granville. Luongo is well aware of this fact. So you can bet heknows that at some point in the not -so-distant future, everybody will forgetabout his G ame 7 deliver ance and the noose will once again wr ap tightlyaround his neck.
“It’s only the first round, that’s the cr azy part about it,” L uongo told theVancouver Province. “We have a long way to go.”
Michael Russo covered the Florida Panthers from 1995-2005 for the SouthFlorida Sun Sentinel and now covers the Minnesota Wild for the MinneapolisStarTribune.
“Somebody’s going to be a hero,this is what legends are made of.
This is what it’s all about.”—— R O B E RT O L U O N G O
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OVERTIME
Panthers Insider: You caught a Panthers home game before the regularseason ended. Can you share some thoughts?Bill Daly: I recently attended a Panthers-Penguins game at the BankAtlanticCenter with my wife and young son. It was a fantastic experience. There wasa lot of energy and enthusiasm in the building and every building staff memberwith whom we came into contact was friendly, and went out of their way to behelpful. It was really a fan friendly environment.
PI: The Panthers have been out of the playoffs for quite awhile, but the fansstill come out with consistency, and they seem to enjoy the experience at theBankAtlantic Center, what are your thoughts on that?BD: It’s been a tough run on the ice for the P anthers in recent years, nodoubt. But I get a sense that the fan base has really bought into the longerterm vision and plan that this franchise has implemented this past season.The team has given itself a lot of flexibility and options going into theoffseason and into next season, and there is nothing more valuable thanflexibility under our current collective bargaining agreement.
PI: Despite missing the pla yoffs this season, GM Dale T allon looks like hehas a plan for this team and the y are headed in the right direction. Do y outhink Dale can turn the franchise in to a consistent playoff team and StanleyCup contender? BD: Dale Tallon has established himself as a premiere talent ev aluator inthis League. He has done a lot of good things already in the shor t time hehas been in South F lorida, and I ha ve every confidence that he will besuccessful in building this team into a consistently competitive challenger forthe Stanley Cup.
PI: Hockey isn’t the biggest fish in town. South F lorida is a football marketand the Heat’s big three make a lot of headlines, but youth hockey continuesto grow down here and we’ve seen before that this can be an electric hockeymarket. Talk about what y ou see the future holding for hocke y in SouthFlorida, both at the youth and NHL level?BD: I was particularly impressed on my recent visit with learning about thetremendous growth and development of youth hockey in South Florida, andparticularly the relative strength and number of local high school programs.It is obviously a great credit to the P anthers organization for rea ching outand fostering this growth, but it is also a tremendous testament to the futureof hockey in South F lorida. The interest and par ticipation in hockey fuelsgrowth and increased depth at the national level and ultimately ensures tothe long-term benefit of the National Hockey League as well.
PI: Could you see the Panthers ever playing in or hosting a Winter Classic? BD: I would say that short to medium term hopes about one-day hosting aWinter Classic may be a bit on the ambitious side. One of the things thatmakes the Winter Classic so special is its "outdoor" nature and qualities, andwhile we would love to expand the physical reach of the event, there remainpractical realities that make a South Florida game difficult. Having said that,and especially given the bright future I think this fr anchise and its fans canexpect on the ice, I wouldn't at all be surprised if we sa w the P anthersfeatured in a Winter Classic game in the not too distant future.
PI: On the business and marketing side, the P anthers are always pushingthe envelope. Led by team President Michael Yormark, are they one of themost creative in the industry? BD: What I find really remarkable about the Panthers' team is that despiteits recent difficulties on the ice, the organization is constantly ahead of thecurve in reaching out to and communicating with its fan base, as well asengaging and activating new business partners. There's a real momentumand excitement that is going to serve this team well over the long haul and,certainly, Michael Yormark has a lot to do with that.
PI: From an ownership standpoint, Cliff Viner has been leading the club solelyonly for the last 11 months or so. In that time he’s made a significant hire inDale Tallon, and set a new standard for corporate citizenship and communityoutreach. From the NHL level, can you see the impact Cliff has had?BD: I can't say enough about what Cliff V iner has meant, not only to thisfranchise, but to its role and participation in the National Hockey League. Heis an interested, engaged and committed owner and that is what everyprofessional spor ts league y earns for and aspires to. P anthers fans cancertainly feel comfor table with their team's representation at the NationalHockey League level.
PI: Overall, is there another team in the NHL, or pro sports, that would act asa suitable case study for the type of success the P anthers can achieve andshould strive for?BD: I think we ha ve a number of prototypical examples of what Clubs —when run the right way and doing the right things — can achieve in a relativelyshort period of time. L ook no fur ther than the P ittsburgh Penguins, theWashington Capitals, and the Chicago B lackhawks — all three fr anchiseswere down and out both going into and coming out of our labor dispute in2004-05. Yet all three franchises have not only been able to turn the cornerboth on the ice and in their respective businesses, they are all performing atthe top of the League and consistently competing for Stanle y Cups. That'swhat I think this franchise and its fans have in store for it.
BILL DALYThe NHL’s Deputy Commissioner gives his
thoughts on the Panthers present and future.
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