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Sunday, February 10, 2002

Compiled by Dejan Kovacevic

More gloves are dropping and more fists are flying in the NHL, a trend which might be traced to Brian Sutter's Blackhawks.

No, they are not among the league leaders in fights, not even in the top five and well behind the No. 1 Panthers, whose 82 are 24 more than anyone else. But no team has had a more drastic transformation than Chicago, which had 39 fights all of last season under flower child Alpo Suhonen and already has 42 this season.

Overall, through 542 games at the All-Star break, referees have assessed 723 fighting majors, a 19.1 percent increase over 607 at the same point last season, research by the Chicago Tribune revealed. There also have been several all-out brawls, the kind which had become nearly nonexistent in the modern NHL.

Despite being busier, the big-league enforcers remain a tight fraternity, for the most part. The Oilers' Georges Laraque took advantage of the All-Star break to place a phone call to the Predators' Stu Grimson to extend a get-well wish. Grimson, 36, is among the league's most feared fighters, but he has been out with a concussion since fighting Laraque Dec. 8 and could be facing a career decision. "I respect him," Laraque told the Edmonton Sun. "We talked about our jobs. I told him I felt bad about what happened. He said, 'Don't feel bad, it's the job.' "

The people who brought the NHL back to Minnesota now are interested in saving Major League Baseball there. Jac Sperling, CEO of the Wild, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune his ownership group would be interested in buying the Twins under two conditions: Contraction is off the table, and plans toward a new stadium are cemented. He did not specify how much government assistance he might expect.

He won't steal the Calder Trophy from Ilya Kovalchuk, but the Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, 21, might well be the league's second-most exciting rookie. He has nine goals, 15 assists in 52 games and has displayed a magnificent flair in his work. "It's scary," Brett Hull told the Detroit Free Press. "If there's anyone who can stickhandle as well in the league, I think you'd have to look at Alexei Kovalev, Milan Hejduk. He looks like an orangutan: He goes this way and all of a sudden he's over there."

Sure the Stars are deep down the middle, but at a heavy cost. Jere Lehtinen has 14 goals, but he is the only winger on the roster in double digits. The Flames are the only other team in the league with just one winger in double digits, but theirs is Jarome Iginla.

Mike Vernon didn't find out that he had been placed on waivers by Calgary until after he cleared them last week. He was plenty unhappy with Craig Button. "The thing that's most disappointing is that the general manager didn't acknowledge it to me," he told the Calgary Sun. "I have to find out six days later from other sources, through the media and the Players Association." Vernon, 38, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, but his $2.5 million salary and 1-6-1 record made his clearing waivers a cinch.

The morning after the Blue Jackets were wiped out, 8-0, by the Bruins at home Monday night, General Manager Doug MacLean was in the players' locker room to bitterly express his displeasure. Sound familiar? Yeah, and this one worked, too. Those same Blue Jackets skated into Detroit a couple of nights ago and won, 3-2.