Sunday, October 12, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

This time a year ago, the Andy van Hellemond tour was playing more dates than the Boss. Possibly even to better reviews.

Van Hellemend, NHL director of officiating, traveled across North America last winter to get out the word that the league finally was serious about reducing hooking, holding and other obstruction with the purpose of returning speed to the game. He spoke with every team's management and players, informing them of the new standard through videotapes, pamphlets and demonstrations. He chatted on talk shows, interviewed for newspapers and spoke directly to fans

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In many places, including here, he became a bit of a hero. The Penguins' power play was clicking at an astronomical rate, close to 40 percent, and that was only a slice of the excitement being seen around the league. For the first time since the early 1990s, it looked like real hockey was back. Maybe to stay.

But by December, as always is the case with the NHL, it imploded. Goals per game dropped to their usual level, the teams bold enough to try riskier styles early on quickly reverted to form, and goals per game ended up at 5.31, a minuscule increase from 5.24 the previous season. The league, including van Hellemond, went right back to getting panned, almost universally.

Which is why, this year, all that is heard from New York on the matter is stone silence. Publicly, anyway.

Members of the Penguins' management and players say the league has not abated its emphasis on the obstruction standard in the slightest. During training camp, they still saw video, read literature and heard firsthand explanations.

"Things are quieter for other people, probably," center Rico Fata said. "But they've done a good job of making sure we're aware of it."

Part of the reason the NHL is keeping a low public profile on the matter doubtless is that it risks yet another round of embarrassment at the first sign of any waning in the enforcement.

The sensitivity on the issue was evident last week when Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations, snapped at a reporter during a conference call who asked about the "endless cycle" of cracking down in October, falling apart by New Year's Day, then cracking down again the next fall.

"I'm tired of hearing that kind of observation from guys like you," Campbell said. "When we get media complaining about penalties called, we get players complaining about penalties called, and we get coaches complaining about penalties called, and we get fans complaining about penalties called. ... Obviously, I'm defensive when it comes to this, but we have worked hard on this. We try to open up play."

The primary reason they have not succeeded, many in the game feel, is that their emphasis is on keeping forecheckers from being slowed. There is no emphasis on fouls against the puck-carrier.

An example came at Mellon Arena Friday: Martin Straka was hauled down while trying to carry the puck into the Los Angeles slot but was taken by a Kings defenseman. No call. The play went the other way, and Mario Lemieux was whistled for hooking because he slowed an opposing forward who did not have the puck but was trying to join the attack.

The second foul -- peculiarly --is viewed as more serious by the referees, undoubtedly because of the crackdown's emphasis. This, of course, is the equivalent of NFL referees calling pass interference only when it involves receivers nowhere near the intended throw.

What went right for the league at the start of last season was that players widely misinterpreted the crackdown to mean all obstruction would be emphasized. As a result, there was a blissful period of fast, creative hockey league-wide. Within two months, as matters became clear, puck-carriers again were fair game for fouls.

The league's stated goal by stressing obstruction on the forecheck is to remove the reflex of hooking and holding. Officials acknowledge this will take years.

The Penguins' players, especially those who make a living through forechecking, appreciate at least what has been done in that regard.

"It takes a while to get that out of of the system. For years, guys have been able to get away with that little tug, so I think that's been good so far," left winger Kelly Buchberger said. "But it's going to take time."

One member of management rolled his eyes when asked about the subject.

"Yeah, they're talking to us," he said. "Get back to me in November, and I'll tell you what I think about it then."

Icy chips

Perhaps it was good that the Penguins and Marc-Andre Fleury had that 3 p.m. Monday deadline to sign a contract. Agent Allan Walsh has all three of the league's most prominent holdouts in his clientele. Marian Gaborik and Pascal Dupuis, the top goal-scorers for the Minnesota Wild last season, said through Walsh Friday they might not sign all season. Martin Havlat of the Ottawa Senators is no closer to a deal. Like Fleury last week, he left Canada and went home to the Czech Republic as a reaction to what Walsh perceived as a subpar offer from the Senators. Talks have not been shut off for any of the three, but all are considered to have wide differences.

A notable milestone in an era of transience: Martin Brodeur last night broke the record for games by a goaltender who has spent his career with one team by appearing in his 667th with the New Jersey Devils. He and the Rangers' Mike Richter had been tied.

One night before Fleury's spectacular debut, the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in the June NHL Entry Draft -- Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nathan Horton of the Florida Panthers -- debuted against each other in Sunrise, Fla. Neither had a point, but both acquitted themselves well and even spent some time matched up.

The Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla this week became the NHL's first black captain.

It could not be viewed as too surprising that Alexandre Daigle scored in his Wild debut Friday, a 5-3 home victory against the Rangers. Not even when recalling that Daigle managed only four goals in 33 games for the Penguins last season. But how about that his checking line -- yes, checking -- kept the Eric Lindros-Anson Carter-Martin Rucinsky line from scoring? Daigle's linemates are 6-foot-5 center Marc Chouinard and Austrian newcomer Christoph Brandner.

On the subject of surprises ... Chris Tamer's dramatic goal with 2:24 left Thursday that lifted the heavy-hearted Atlanta Thrashers to a 2-1 home victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets was only the 20th of his 11-year career. In 253 games for the Penguins, Tamer had eight goals.

The Penguins are not the only team in the East rebuilding with youth. The Capitals had six players 23 or younger make the team, including three 19-year-olds from their 2002 draft class: Alexander Semin, Boyd Gordon and Steve Eminger. Gordon, the 17th overall pick, is skating with Jaromir Jagr.

Why coaches rent: Since Paul Maurice, owner of the NHL's longest active tenure behind a bench, was hired by the former Hartford Whalers Nov. 6, 1995, the New York Islanders have made seven changes at the post. The Penguins have made six.

The New York Rangers are using former Penguins Darius Kasparaitis and Joel Bouchard as a defense pairing.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league has begun talks about new contracts with existing U.S. rights-holders ABC and ESPN. Given the sagging ratings and network frustration with sagging scoring, it is widely expected the league will accept a deal less lucrative than the five-year, $600 million pact that expires after this season.

Robert Dome, the Penguins' first-round pick in 1997, was angry about being among the Flames' final cuts in camp. He was second on the team with eight points in six preseason games but still was demoted to Saint John. "I guess it wasn't good enough because I'm going down," he told the Calgary Sun. "I should have done a little bit more, but it's too late now, I guess." Dome has played only 23 NHL games after making the Penguins' roster as an 18-year-old.

The ECHL announced this week the creation of a new award for coach of the year and that it will be named for John Brophy, coach of the Wheeling Nailers in 2001-03.

Hey, where was Jason Allison?

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