Ed Johnston, the last goaltender in NHL history to play every minute of an entire season, understands perhaps better than anyone how protective a player at that position can become of his turf. How spirited the competition can be between two men vying for one job. How it can push both to work harder and perform at a higher level.
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Johan Hedberg is the Penguins' No. 1 goalie based on his performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. |
And that's precisely his hope for the Penguins' inexperienced but gifted tandem of Johan Hedberg and Jean-Sebastien Aubin.
"I'm telling you, we've got two good ones there," Johnston said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what these guys together can do for us."
Hedberg, 28, didn't reach the NHL until March, but he turned in brilliant work in the Stanley Cup playoffs and impressed the team to the extent he already has been named the starter for next season.
Johnston, who recommended the Penguins acquire Hedberg, still has no doubts.
"Technically, he's as good as anybody around," Johnston said. "His lateral movement is excellent, his footwork is great, he handles the puck well, and he's very, very quick. Mario Lemieux saw him practice once or twice, and that's all it took to show him he could play. Mario knew right away."
Johnston also dismissed out of hand any notion that Hedberg might relax a bit after signing his first major NHL deal.
"No, no way that happens. His concentration and his work ethic are No. 1 for him, and that's not going to change. You saw that in the playoffs. Look at all the pressure he had on him, and he came through unbelievably."
Aubin, 24, has been pegged as Hedberg's backup. He is coming off a forgettable season in which he fell to No. 3 on the depth chart by the playoffs and appeared to lose the confidence of management.
Not so, Johnston said.
"I've got plenty of confidence in him. That kid's going to be a hell of a goalkeeper. Seabass can play. He just has to apply himself, and I think he will. I think he grew up a little when he saw how Hedberg came in here and did so well. Sometimes, it helps to get that push."
Icy chips
Center Wayne Primeau has far bigger concerns this summer than the slow pace of his contract talks with the Penguins. His wife, Leanne, last week gave birth to a boy two months premature. The boy weighs only slightly more than 3 pounds but is in good health.
Lemieux and the rest of the NHL's owners are being ordered to choose their words carefully regarding the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2004. Commissioner Gary Bettman has threatened a fine of $1 million for anyone who violates his gag order on the subject, which probably would cover comments such as those Lemieux made two weeks ago at a Montreal golf tournament that a salary cap would be desirable.
If the Penguins are ever going to follow up on Lemieux's inquiry to Brett Hull about coming to Pittsburgh, they will have to hurry. Five teams are talking to his agent, Mike Barnett, and the Penguins are not among them. Strangely, the Canadiens are one of the more serious candidates, despite not having pursued big names on the free-agent market in years. Montreal's new ownership has been trying hard to lure players off the open market, but most are loath to play in Quebec because of high provincial taxes. Hull is saying taxes are no issue.
A far less expensive candidate to play on Lemieux's right wing -- but two years younger and, in the eyes of many, nearly as talented as Hull -- is Stephane Richer. He quit on the Capitals one day into camp last season, but he is in great shape and could be getting serious about making another return to the NHL at age 35.
How serious is the NHL about holding its referees accountable? Consider that two 12-year veterans, Lance Roberts and Richard Trottier, were fired last month. That brings to 13 the number of officials fired in the two summers since Andy van Hellemond took over as director of officiating.
Czech star Jiri Dopita finally will arrive in North America next month when he joins the Flyers for training camp as a 32-year-old rookie. But don't expect him to fit in right away. From an interview in his native tongue: "How good is my English? Flawless. I can't communicate at all."
Don't laugh. Ten years from now, you'll read the same quote from Konstantin Koltsov, the Penguins' first-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft who appears determined to stay in Russia.
From an interview with Jaromir Jagr on Faceoff.com, translated from Czech: "The last two months in Pittsburgh, it was as if I was facing an avalanche. And, all of a sudden, people who had seemed to have inhibitions or good taste before felt as if they could write anything they pleased."
From that same session: "I saw again that when things don't work, people can be extremely unpleasant, and they turn into gushing fountains of joy when things start to work again." How much was lost in that translation?
The Blue Jackets and Kings each had prospects games in July which drew overflow crowds of more than 1,500 to their respective practice facilities. Perhaps it's an idea the Penguins could consider for Southpointe. How many fans in Pittsburgh do you suppose would turn out to catch an early glimpse of players such as Brooks Orpik, Kris Beech or Colby Armstrong?
Darius Kasparaitis became a U.S. citizen this week, but don't get your hopes up about his playing for the Americans at Salt Lake City. Olympic rules stipulate a player must stay with the country he has represented in previous Olympics. Kasparaitis, a Lithuanian, always has played for Russia.
Only 57 days until the puck drops between Lemieux and Joe Sakic.
Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@ post-gazette.com.
Inside the NHL: Johnston says goaltenders can benefit from push 
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