Saturday, April 28, 2001
Mark Madden
Mario Lemieux wasn't setting the stage to trade Jaromir Jagr when, in interviews Wednesday and Thursday, he criticized Jagr's play. Lemieux was just trying to coax Jagr into doing better.
Here's hoping Jagr performs at a higher level because these playoffs will be his last games as a Penguin. He definitely will be traded during the off-season. That was set in stone long before Lemieux said Jagr "could play better." It has zero to do with Jagr's play and everything to do with economics.
My advice to local hockey fans is this: Appreciate the time you have left with Jagr. He is arguably one of hockey's 20 best players ever. And don't you dare boo him when he comes back to Pittsburgh with the New York Rangers or Tampa Bay Lightning. Jagr deserves better.
But he's got to go. Jagr makes too much money. Keeping him and his $10 million-plus salary would mean not re-signing free agents such as Alexei Kovalev, Martin Straka, Robert Lang, Darius Kasparaitis and Bob Boughner this summer. Then Jagr leaves as an unrestricted free agent in 2003 -- he'll be way out of the Penguins' price range in an open bidding war -- and Lemieux retires not long after. The Penguins would be left with a skeleton of a team.
This isn't subject to debate. But a lot of Pittsburghers don't realize that.
Talk-show callers, likely brainwashed by Howard Baldwin's way of doing things, bellow like wounded buffalo when the thought of trading Jagr is broached. "He's the best player in the world!" they cry. "Do whatever it takes to keep this team together! It could win two or three Stanley Cups before Lemieux retires! Keep Jagr! Keep Kovalev and all those other guys, too! This team can win!"
If "this team" can collect two or three Cups before Lemieux retires, how come it's not favored to win the current tournament? There seems to be a notion among the locals that you can't win a Cup without Lemieux and Jagr. Memo to citizens: It's been done eight times since 1992.
Baldwin nearly put the Penguins in Portland, Ore., by trying to "keep this team together" in the mid-'90s. By not adhering to a budget and spending more than the franchise could afford. The Penguins were in bankruptcy court less than two years ago. Have you forgotten that near-disaster already?
Some say that interest in the Penguins will wane once Jagr is traded and Lemieux retires. That's typical Pittsburgh sports fan arrogance. Why do you deserve the best of everything all the time?
Pittsburgh has been blessed with the best hockey player in the world -- Lemieux or Jagr -- nonstop since 1984. The Penguins have been the town's most successful sports team the past decade. If people stop going to games when Lemieux and Jagr are gone, it just proves once again that Pittsburgh is a myth when it comes to being a great sports town.
I prefer to look on the bright side. Jagr, as Lemieux said, clearly isn't having as much fun as he should be. He's probably ready for a little big-city living. Or beachfront living. Jagr will he happier elsewhere. Or maybe he just can't be happy anywhere. But it's time to let him see if the grass is greener.
Trust General Manager Craig Patrick to make the right deal. Jagr is a great player, and other teams will see him as a drawing card. (Hopefully, they won't check the Penguins' non-Lemieux attendance figures.) Patrick has said that whichever team gets the best player gets the better of any deal, so getting fair return for Jagr will be hard. But perhaps Patrick can get enough to give the Penguins depth.
Depth is what wins Stanley Cups. Not stars. Depth.
The New Jersey Devils have no player in the class of Lemieux and Jagr. But they won the Stanley Cup last year. Same with Dallas. They won the Cup in 1999. Some teams have stars and depth, like the Penguins in 1991 and '92. But you don't win without depth.
The Penguins have some depth now, especially on offense. If Patrick makes the right deal with Jagr, if the club re-signs its key free agents such as Kovalev and Straka. and if promising youngsters such as Milan Kraft and Brooks Orpik develop and assume major roles, the Penguins could have a very deep team led by a superstar in Lemieux. They might actually be closer to a Cup after trading Jagr. The Los Angeles Kings traded Rob Blake, their best player, but got good return and became a better team within weeks.
Trading Jagr might be a bitter blow to the discerning consumers who call themselves die-hard sports fans in this town. I think Jagr eventually will regret it, too, especially if he goes to a city where the team stinks and where the organization and media don't treat him with kid gloves. If Jagr played for the Rangers, for example, the New York Post would no doubt be accusing him of faking his injury Thursday night because he was wounded by Lemieux's comments.
But if Patrick makes the right deal, trading Jagr could turn out to be a good thing for the Penguins. At any rate, trading Jagr is not an option. It's inevitable and inescapable.
It took him to age 30 but Robert Lang is having a career year. He's by far the least known member of his line in Pittsburgh – with Alexei Kovalev and Martin Straka getting a lot more ink – but Lang's contribution has been significant. He hasn't been held without a point for more than two games in a row and he's two goals shy of his career best (23).
Interestingly, the Penguins lost Lang from Sept. 28, 1997, until Oct. 25, 1997, when the Bruins picked him in the waiver draft. When it became clear he didn't fit in there, the Bruins waived him and Pittsburgh grabbed him back.
Wednesday, January 24, 2001
Mario Lemieux's amazing comeback continued on Wednesday night, with perhaps his greatest effort to date. Lemieux netted his 40th career hat trick and led the Penguins to a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, and in the process bypassed the New York Islanders Mike Bossy for second place all-time on the hat trick list. Lemieux now trails only Wayne Gretzky, who holds the NHL record with 50.
Lemieux opened the scoring during an extremely quiet first period. His opening tally of the evening came at 16:36, with assists going to Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens.
It took over 20 minutes for Lemieux to post his second of the night, but what a pretty goal it was. Jagr fed Lemieux with a swift pass at the goal mouth, which Lemieux held for a second and then roofed over a flopping Jose Theodore at 17:28.
It didn't take as long for number three to come. Lemieux and the Penguins took advantage of a double minor to the Habs' Karl Dykhuis to stretch the lead to 3-0 just 1:27 into the final period.
The depleted Montreal lineup (the team was missing nearly a dozen players to injury) mustered just 20 shots on Garth Snow, just missed recording his second consecutive shutout. The Canadiens' Eric Chouinard, who was just recalled from their Quebec farm club last week, recorded the lone visitors goal with 2:12 left in the game to erase the blank slate. It was his first of the season.
Mario Lemieux hits the ice for Game Four of his Comeback, Jean Pronovost visits Mellon Arena as an honored member of the Pittsburgh Penguins Millennium Team and Martin Briere, son of former Penguin Michel Briere, travels to Pittsburgh for the first time to witness his late father's tribute on January 5.
The Penguins will honor Millennium Team members Lemieux and Pronovost during a brief pre-game ceremony. Lemieux, team owner and star player, continues his amazing comeback after a highly decorated career, which now spans 14 NHL seasons.
Fellow Millennium Team forward Pronovost was the Penguins' hard-working superstar of the early and mid 70s. He currently ranks fifth on the team's all-time scoring list with 603 points in 753 regular season games. His knack for finding the net is also evident as he ranks third on the Penguins' all-time goal scoring list with 316, trailing only Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. Pronovost was a fan favorite who skated to chants of "Lets Go Pron-o-vost" throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh.
All fans attending the January 5 game vs. Montreal will receive a commemorative Millennium Team coin featuring Lemieux and Pronovost.
Michel Briere was a promising rookie sensation with the Penguins during the 1969-70 campaign. He recorded 44 points in 76 regular season games and added eight points in 10 playoff contests. Like Lemieux, Briere was drafted by the Penguins and arrived speaking only his native French language but determined to succeed. By the end of his first professional training camp, Briere had gained the respect from both teammates and opponents.
Tragically, Briere suffered fatal head injuries in a car crash outside Montreal only days after his rookie season concluded. After 11 months in a coma, he died from his injuries in May of 1971. Since that time, no Penguins player has ever worn Briere's jersey Number 21. On Friday, the Penguins will officially retire Briere's jersey during a pre-game ceremony.
NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2001) National Hockey League great Mario Lemieux gives rare access to People Magazine, which chronicles his heroic comeback in a feature for the Jan. 15, 2001 issue, on newsstands Friday, Jan. 5.
Lemieux, the Pittsburgh Penguins' star and owner, returned to the NHL on Dec. 27, three years after making a valiant comeback from Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymph nodes, and a chronic back injury. Lemieux had retired in 1997 at the age of 31 after a Hall of Fame career that included leading the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup Championships, six regular-season scoring titles, three regular-season League MVP awards and two Playoff MVP trophies.
People Magazine writer Cynthia Wang was given the opportunity to join Lemieux and his family at their home in a suburb of Pittsburgh, and captures the bond Lemieux has with his wife and children, especially four-year-old son Austin, who inspired his father's return.
With a readership of more than 34.5 million in the United States alone, People is the most widely-read publication in the world.
The aftershocks of Mario Lemieux's decision to revive his playing career will be felt for months. Maybe years. Maybe longer. The initial impact, though, has been fairly easy to understand. When Lemieux pulled on his sweater for the first time in 3 1/2 years last Wednesday, he instantly raised attendance at Mellon Arena. Raised television ratings. Raised the Penguins' expectations of what they can achieve this season.
Lemieux's comeback raised darned near everything, it seems, except the profile of the Penguins' second line. The Martin Straka-Robert Lang-Alexei Kovalev line wasn't one of the better-known groups in the NHL even before Lemieux returned -- it really could use a catchy nickname or for one of its members to be dating Anna Kournikova -- and that's not going to change now. Fact is, the line might be reduced to an afterthought by opponents concerned mostly with devising a way to do damage-control against the Jan Hrdina-Lemieux-Jaromir Jagr line.
Never mind that, before Lemieux returned, the No. 2 line was the Penguins' most effective and reliable unit. That it accounted for 42 of their 103 goals in the first 36 games. That it features players capable of altering the course of a game in a few shifts. Or seconds. But it doesn't have the star power of the Lemieux-Jagr partnership -- there are supernovas that don't shine that brightly -- and it's only natural that other teams will concentrate more on containing those two than on shutting down Straka, Lang and Kovalev.
"Now, they always try to focus on the first line, and try to forget about us," Straka said. "That's going to be good for us, but we still have to play."
Kovalev, it should be noted, believes that Ottawa "really concentrated on our line" during the Penguins' 5-3 victory Saturday. While speaking with Washington reporters yesterday, Capitals' Coach Ron Wilson, whose team visits Mellon Arena at 7:30 tonight, was emphatic about the perils of overlooking the Penguins' second lne.
"The injured guys have been watching the Pittsburgh games and say [Lemieux] has really been dominant, but you don't go into the game saying we have to shut out Mario and that's what you focus your energies on," Wilson said. "Then you're forgetting what they have on the second line, Kovalev and Marty Straka. There's a lot of talent on that team, and we're going to have to play a very smart game."
The Capitals have done that pretty consistently of late, reverting to the defense-oriented style that has been their forte for years. Still, even the most accomplished defensive clubs have a finite number of formidable checking forwards and top-quality defensemen and must use those resources as efficiently as possible. And with Lemieux's line having generated seven of the Penguins' 10 goals during the past two games, it isn't tough to figure out what Wilson's top priority should be.
"[Opponents] think it's the only line that's going to beat them, and they did, so far," Straka said. "The first two games, that line's been awesome and won both of those games for us."
While Wilson didn't divulge the details of his strategy for defending against the Penguins, there is only so much the visiting coach can do. Because the home team gets the last change, Penguins' Coach Ivan Hlinka will have a chance to get favorable matchups for Lemieux's line tonight. That won't be the case on the road, when coaches will be able to send out players they deem most capable of shutting down Lemieux and Jagr. It is then that the second line should get a chance to regularly work against the opponent's No. 2 checking unit and defense pairing.
The second line has been uncharacteristically quiet of late. Its members have contributed two goals -- both on the power play -- and three assists during the past two games.
"We create so many opportunities for ourselves, so many chances," Kovalev said. "We're just not putting the puck in the net as often as the first line."
Of course, with the rampage the Lemieux line has been on, the second unit hasn't been compelled to offer much more than vigorous applause. That will change, however. Lemieux's line won't continue to average 3.5 goals per game -- probably not, anyway -- and there will be times when it will complete a night's work with nothing more than sweaty jerseys to show for its efforts. That's when having a productive second line will be imperative.
The Penguins owner/player started the day with an 8 a.m. appearance on CBS' "The Morning Show," before traveling to Mellon Arena for his first morning skate as a player in three-and-a-half years.
After a brisk workout with the team that featured shooting drills (not that Lemieux needs any help with shooting), it was time to face the seemingly endless media contingent that has traveled to Pittsburgh for this momentous game. Over 200 credentials have been issued for the matchup with the Maple Leafs, more than double the amount usually given out for a post-season contest.
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to play again," Lemieux told the assembled reporters at a make-shift press conference. "This building has been very, very special to us over the years."
When asked about his conditioning for tonight's contest, Lemieux was upbeat. "I feel 100% better (from his first practice on Nov. 1). I've made a lot of progress, especially in the last 10 days.
"I'm not at the level I want to be at. Being patient will be the key for me."
Lemieux said that the excitement and adrenaline will probably be there when he hits the ice for the first time this evening, but he feels confident he'll be able to adjust quickly. "I'm pretty nervous. Once you're in a game situation it is totally different (from practice)," he said. "After a couple of shifts I'll settle down and try to play my game."
Lemieux is expected to work on a line with captain Jaromir Jagr and center Jan Hrdina, a combination he thinks will work well. "It's the perfect line for us," number 66 told the media horde. "Jannie is a good defensive player. He knows his role on our line.
"Jags has been playing well the last three or four games," he continued. "He's ready to breakout."
Speaking of breakouts, Lemieux said his son Austin was looking for one from his dad tonight. "He's pretty excited about it. He's looking forward to going to the game and seeing daddy play."
When asked if Austin had requested a goal from his father tonight, Lemieux said the youngster was aiming even higher. "He said he expects a hat trick."
And with the magical comebacks Mario has already produced in his career, it probably wouldn't surprise too many if he delivered three goals right away.
Thursday, December 21, 2000
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. -- Mario Lemieux remains on target to make his return next Wednesday when the Pittsburgh Penguins entertain the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lemieux had his third team-supervised workout Thursday -- skating for nearly 90 minutes -- during the Penguins morning skate in preparation for a game Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lemieux was just one of the guys during his first practice as a Penguins player on Tuesday.
"That was my target date all along when I started training on Nov. 1," Lemieux said. "I feel I'm much closer than I was."
Lemieux said he feels "probably about 80 percent back."
"The wind is good," Lemieux said. "The legs are a little weak. I know I'm going to have to be patient the next couple weeks."
Eighteen months after buying the team for which he starred, he will return from a 3½-year retirement.
"I'm going to commit for the year, then evaluate at the end of the year and make a decision by summer," Lemieux said.
Lemieux retired after winning his sixth NHL scoring title in 1997. The Hall of Famer previously came back from back problems and Hodgkin's disease.
"This is huge ... it's great for hockey," said Tampa Bay rookie center Brad Richards, among a half-dozen Lightning players watching Lemieux practice. "I just hope I can play against him. I hope he's healthy enough to play the way he can. I think it's going to be very exciting for hockey and for all hockey fans."
Larry Wigge
The Sporting News
It's a puzzle coaches and GMs have to solve nearly every night. There are about a dozen players in the NHL who can single-handedly take over a game and beat you.
If it's Pittsburgh, for instance, you have to pay particular attention to Jaromir Jagr.
If it's St. Louis, Chris Pronger is the guy you have to take off his game.
Buffalo? That's easy, it's Dominik Hasek.
When I was asked to name the five players to watch for the 2000-01 season for The Sporting News' Hockey yearbook (now available at newsstands), Jagr, Pronger and Hasek were the first three who came to mind.
Colorado's Peter Forsberg, Anaheim's Paul Kariya and Florida's Pavel Bure were close behind.
What can coaches do to stop these stars? They can't punt, that's for sure. Nor can they intentionally walk the big guy to avoid him. It's one-on-one in hockey.
"Jaromir Jagr is to the Penguins what Michael Jordan was to the Bulls," says Capitals GM George McPhee.
"He's also the best player in the game at using his teammates and making the whole team better."
"I'd say Pronger belongs right up there at the top," Sharks G.M. Dean Lombardi says.
"He is the equivalent of a Dominik Hasek for defensemen. He can completely control a game in all phases."
The most surprising result wasn't that Jagr was first on 29 of 33 ballots submitted by TSN correspondents and staffers but, rather, that Eric Lindros appeared on only one ballot -- and that was a fifth-place vote. That skepticism, plus the big salary and compensation a team will have to pay to sign a player who has had six concussions in two years, makes Lindros a question mark for the first time in his eight-year NHL career.
"We've all got the same questions about Eric," says Rangers G.M. Glen Sather.
"If his head is into it, how many games can he play? And how well can he play in those games?"
Jagr, Pronger and Forsberg were the consensus top three vote-getters in our poll. And Hasek, returning for his final season after a subpar effort in 1999-2000, was the choice in goal.
But does having one of these elite players mean instant success?
Think about it. Jagr failed to reach 100 points and his team came up short in the second round of the playoffs last season. Pronger's team bowed out in the first round after putting up the best record in the regular season. Forsberg missed nearly half of the season with injuries. Ditto The Dominator.
If NHL execs are correct and the two-referee system allows the stars to come out every night and not be neutralized by a minimum-salaried checker, then maybe, just maybe, we could be in for the most exciting season ever.
Sunday, August 27, 2000
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Imagine the Pirates flying to Bradenton without a major-league starting pitcher. Or the Steelers busing to Latrobe without an NFL-tested quarterback.
Now, imagine the Penguins skating into Southpointe without a single goaltender who has appeared in an NHL game.
Preposterous, right? Maybe not.
With training camp less than two weeks away, the only netminder at any level of the organization signed to a contract is Craig Hillier, who has been a minor-league bust since the team made him its top pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
And since Hillier doesn't make much of a depth chart, you can expect General Manager Craig Patrick to be plenty busy finding help the next few days.
To start, he'll need to sign his projected starter. Jean-Sebastien Aubin, 23, is a restricted free agent and is seeking a three-year deal and a salary which would double the $350,000 he made last season. Negotiations continued the past few days, but there is no assurance Aubin will report to camp.
Next, Patrick will need to find a backup, and this task promises to be considerably more difficult.
Peter Skudra, who filled the role the past three years, remains an unrestricted free agent. He has been working out at Southpointe much of the summer and has said he would like to return, but he is fielding offers from two other clubs.
Sebastien Caron, the Penguins' third-round draft pick in 1999, is expected to sign within the next week. But, even though he led the Rimouski Oceanic to Canada's junior hockey championship last season, he isn't ready for any level higher than the AHL. Expect him to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre.
And there isn't much chance the Penguins will work the open market. Of the remaining unrestricted free agents, only Sean Burke, Garth Snow, Mikhail Shtalenkov, Bill Ranford, Mark Fitzpatrick and, yes, Tom Barrasso have noteworthy NHL resumes. But all could prove too costly for the Penguins, who insist they will not overspend for a backup goaltender.
Thus, Patrick most likely will:
A. Bring in some minor-league castoffs as tryouts during camp.
B. Wait until just before the season starts and pluck from the waiver wire.
C. Make a trade.
D. Dress Ed Johnston.
E. Turn the net face-down.
The Boys of Siberia?
The Penguins' new advertising campaign, featuring the slogan "World-class players with a Pittsburgh accent," is slated to hit local airwaves next week.
In the promotions, players will be speaking Pittsburghese or appearing at local landmarks.
"It's the perfect slogan for the team in many ways," said Tom Rooney, chief operating officer. "First, we have a group of extremely talented players from across the world. Second, the Penguins are as popular in the Czech Republic, Canada and Russia as they are here in Pittsburgh. And last, the saying pokes a little good-hearted fun at native Pittsburghers such as myself. Yinz know?"
Next thing you know, a Pittsburgh native will be on the ice for the Penguins. Forwards Ryan Malone and Jim Abbott, born and raised in the area, have been drafted in the past two years.
Icy chips
Jaromir Jagr has again led a team of NHL stars through the Czech Republic on a charity tour this summer. On Monday, however, his allegiances were divided when his club visited his hometown team, Kladno. Jagr's solution? He played 30 minutes for each team, scoring all three of his goals for Kladno. ... Rob Brown's chances of staying in the NHL will hinge largely on a general manager recognizing that his talents are not the kind which diminish rapidly with age. "I've never been a speed-burner," he said, failing to stifle a laugh. "I know the things that I can do out there are things that I'll be able to do for a while." Brown, 32, was cut loose by the Penguins this week but would seem to be an excellent fit for an expansion team because of his power-play skills. Traditionally, first-year clubs struggle with the man-advantage. ... If Aubin compares himself to Philadelphia goaltender Brian Boucher, he might never get signed. Boucher, who like Aubin is a restricted free agent coming off a terrific rookie year, is asking the Flyers for a salary between $2.5 million and $3 million. ... Only 10 days to Southpointe
August 23, 2000
The Pittsburgh Penguins have players from the Czech Republic, Russia, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovakia and Germany on their roster, not to mention Canada and the United States. So it only makes sense that the team's new ad campaign would have a world-wide feel.
It makes its debut this week, celebrating the team's international appeal with the slogan, "Penguins hockey: World class players with a Pittsburgh accent." Fans can expect to see that theme weaved through radio, television, print and internet advertising and team promotional pieces throughout the season.
"We're very much of an international team, many of our stars are from European countries, and we think that's something that makes us unique," said Tom McMillan, the Penguins' vice president of marketing and communications. "I remember at our first meeting about marketing the team this year, someone said, 'it's got to have that kind of we-are-the-world' theme to it. Pittsburgh is a melting-pot kind of town, anyway. So this is what we've come up with."
The first pieces of the promotional campaign are the Penguins' pocket schedule and season ticket brochure. They feature star players Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Darius Kasparaitis - with Jagr wearing his Penguins jersey and Straka and Kasparaitis captured in their Olympic jerseys from 1998, when Straka played for his native Czech Republic and Kasparaitis, a native Lithuanian, competed for Russia. And, the Pens season-opening games against Nashville in the Orient on Oct. 7 and 8 just add more credibility to the team's world billing.
"We have some great shots of players in uniforms from their European teams," Penguins creative director Barb Pilarski. "Some of the sweaters in the photos are great. There are shots of Hans Jonsson playing for MoDo (his former pro team in Sweden) that look like he's actually on a motor-cross team."
Next up will be a full-page advertisement in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, to be followed shortly by an ad campaign on local radio stations in early September. The radio and TV campaigns throughout the season will focus on individual players talking about their hockey roots, as well as the experience of playing and living in Pittsburgh. Fans may expect to see and hear commercials featuring players using local colloquialisms or visiting area landmarks.
"It's the perfect slogan for the team in several ways," said Penguins COO Tom Rooney. "Firstly, we have a group of extremely talented players from across the world. Secondly, the Penguins are just as popular in the Czech Republic, Canada and Russia as they are here in Pittsburgh. And lastly, the saying pokes a little good-hearted fun at native Pittsburghers such as myself. Yinz know?"
"We have some help from outside consultants, but we're doing most of this in-house," McMillan said, noting that Pittsburgh-based NFM Group will be handling media buying. "We've had some good dealings with advertising agencies in the past, but we believe we know our team and our players - and our fan base - better than anyone else. It's an exciting and unpredictable part of the job."
The Penguins also have an aggressive promotional schedule, including the introduction of a new third jersey and a season-long celebration of the Millennium Team.
The Millennium Team is the official name for the Penguins' all-time team from 1967-2000, consisting of 14 members - six forwards, four defensemen, two goaltenders, one general manager and one coach.
Finalists were selected by the fans in balloting sponsored by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The final team was chosen by a panel of veteran media members and club officials.
Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and four-time NHL scoring champion Jaromir Jagr lead the team, which also includes fellow forwards Ron Francis, Rick Kehoe, Jean Pronovost and Kevin Stevens, defensemen Dave Burrows, Paul Coffey, Larry Murphy and Ulf Samuelsson, goaltenders Tom Barrasso and Les Binkley, general manager Craig Patrick and coach Bob Johnson.
All fans attending the Penguins' Oct. 14 game against the New York Rangers at Mellon Arena will receive a free copy of the Millennium Team Yearbook. There also will be a series of seven nights featuring collectible Millennium Team coins - honoring two team members per coin.
Other promotions include youth street hockey stick day and youth Jaromir Jagr shirt night.
For a complete list of Penguins promotions please click on my Pens Page .
Sunday, August 20, 2000
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
In June 1997, Robert Dome was introduced to thousands of Pittsburghers at the Civic Arena as the Penguins' first pick in the NHL Entry Draft.
Robert Dome, the Penguins top pick in 1997 NHL Entry Draft, has seven goals in three seasons. (Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette)
Three years later, he could be saying goodbye.
Dome, a restricted free agent, is balking at the Penguins' only contract offer, one which would pay him $660,000 for time spent in the NHL but only $75,000 for time spent in the minor leagues. And his opposition to a deal structured that way is so strong, agent Jiri Crha said, that Dome likely will spend the coming season in Europe.
"This isn't about money," Crha said. "This is about finding out what the Penguins' plans are for Robert, whether they're going to play him or just send him to their farm team again. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel Robert has the skill to be an NHL player."
Dome, 21, is a 6-foot, 210-pound left winger from Slovakia blessed with terrific speed and bullish checking ability. But he has had trouble mustering any significant numbers at the NHL level.
In 1997, he made the Penguins' roster out of his first camp. That was a surprise considering he was the 17th overall choice in the draft that summer and that only three other players taken in the first round that year reached the NHL. He had five goals in 30 games before being demoted to Syracuse of the AHL.
In 1998, he reported to camp overweight and was banished to the minor leagues for the entire year. In 68 games for Syracuse and Houston, he had 20 goals.
Last season, his attitude brightened considerably, and his conditioning improved with it. But he still wasn't making an impact. In 51 games with the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, he netted just 12 goals. In 22 games with the Penguins, he netted just two.
Crha blamed the Penguins for not giving Dome the ice time a first-round pick usually receives.
"For three years, they didn't give him an opportunity to show anything, always sending him to the farm team," Crha said. "I don't want Robert to go through that anymore. I don't want him to go up and down, with everybody telling him over and over why he's not playing. Just let him play. You need a chance at least to prove somebody wrong. If you play six shifts a game, you're never going to produce."
Crha said three European professional teams have called him to express interest in signing Dome. Two of them, Crha said, have promised to pay more than the Penguins are offering.
Sunday, June 25, 2000
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
CALGARY, Alberta --
Big defenseman Brooks Orpik should be a good fit for the Penguins. (Adrian Wyld, Associated Press)
In 1980, seven months after the U.S. Olympic team captured its stunning gold medal at Lake Placid, Rick and Liz Orpik gave birth to a son and named him Brooks. Hockey enthusiasts without peer, they found it fitting to name their child after Herb Brooks, the coach of that historic team.
And yesterday, almost precisely two decades later, Rick and Liz stood and cheered at the NHL Entry Draft when their son's name was announced by the Penguins as their first choice, 18th overall.
With Herb Brooks applauding from the team's draft table.
"My parents have always talked about my name a lot, but I never though too much of it," a grown-up Brooks Orpik recalled with a shy smile. "I guess getting drafted by Pittsburgh, I'll have to talk about it a little more."
Upon hearing his name called out to the crowd at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome, Orpik, a rugged defenseman from Boston College, showed his soft side. He embraced his parents and shook hands with his many friends in attendance before making his way to the stage to don his first black-and-gold sweater.
Afterward, he approached the Penguins' table, where he was introduced to the man for whom he was named.
"It's kind of a funny thing, getting to meet him," Orpik said. "We talked for a couple of minutes. It was kind of neat."
Brooks, who coached the Penguins this past season before returning to his old job as a scout, found a bit more meaning in it.
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FIRST ROUND
Name: Brooks Orpik, 18th overall Position: Defenseman Height: 6-3 Weight: 230 Born: Sept. 26, 1980; San Francisco 1999-2000 team: Boston College, NCAA
Numbers: 1 goal, 9 assists, 100 penalty minutes in 38 games
The skinny: Good mobility for player of his stature. ... Likes to jump into attack despite limited offensive production. ... Nearly two years older than most prospects in draft. ... Plays summer hockey in Boston with Penguins' Ian Moran. ... Had goal and assist in seven games for U.S. at World Junior Championship this past winter. ... Boston College has reached NCAA's Final Four in each of his two years.
Head scout Greg Malone's comment: "All you need to know about how we feel about him is that it was a unanimous vote at our draft table."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECOND ROUND Name: Shane Endicott, 52nd overall Postion: Center Height: 6-4 Weight: 200 Born: Dec. 21, 1981; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1999-2000 team: Seattle, Western Hockey League
Numbers: 23 goals, 32 assists, 62 penalty minutes in 70 games
The skinny: Solid, two-way player who uses size well along boards. ... Good on faceoffs. ... Has average speed once in full stride but has to work on first two or three steps. ... Rated 11th among North Americans by Central Scouting but slipped badly in draft, probably because of skating. ... Seattle used him in all key situations, including closing minutes of games.
Malone's comment: "I really like his overall skills. I know he's good defensively, but this is a guy who can chip in offensively, too."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD ROUND
Name: Peter Hamerlik, 84th overall Postion: Goaltender Height: 6-1 Weight: 187 Born: Jan. 2, 1982; Myjava, Slovakia 1999-2000 team: Skalica, Slovak Elite League
Numbers: 3.92 GAA, .895 save percentage in 37 games
The skinny: Neck injury sustained at tournament for world's best under-18 players hampered him most of this past season. ... Some scouts believe he would have been first-rounder a year ago. ... Seventh goaltender taken in draft. ... Quick feet help him play effective butterfly style. ... Could come to North America next season to play for Kingston of OHL.
Malone's comment: "The thing you really notice about him is that he's very sound in his technique. He knows what he's doing."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Penguins coverage: Islanders draft goalie DiPietro, trade Luongo, Weekes
NHL Notebook: Draft finally taps Pittsburgh
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hlinka's goal: Shape Penguins into his image
"It was in the stars, I guess."
That's precisely how the Penguins' scouting staff felt about their good fortune yesterday.
Orpik, 19, is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound physical force with skating ability and a mean streak to match. He has limited offensive abilities but more than makes up for that with his menacing presence, dominating many of the games he has played in college.
"He's not going end to end, by any means," Brooks said. "But, boy, he's a banger."
Orpik's stock soared faster in the past four months than that of any draft-eligible player. At midseason, the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau rated him 70th among North American prospects, yet rated him fourth in its final rankings, second among defensemen. The Hockey News rated him eighth among all prospects, and some other services had him as high as third.
So how did 17 teams pass on him?
The Penguins don't care. They're just delighted it happened.
"Sometimes you've got to get lucky," head scout Greg Malone said. "We were pretty lucky today. You know, I say this all the time, but every year it seems that there's one guy who you're wondering to yourself, 'Why does this guy keep dropping?' "
"He's a great find for us," Brooks said. "Believe me, we had him rated very, very highly, and there was a lot of excitement that we could take him."
The Penguins made a few trade inquiries of teams who were picking early in the first round, looking to see if they could move into the top five. That fizzled quickly, and they sat back and waited until their turn came at No. 18.
All the while, Orpik slumped a bit more with each name he heard called. He was especially disappointed when his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres, passed on him with the 15th pick and opted for Russian left winger Artem Kriukov.
His frustration was evident even after the Penguins had taken him.
"I had expectations, thinking maybe I should've gone a little higher," Orpik said. "I mean, I think for me that just to get drafted was the ultimate goal, so there's really no room for disappointment. ... Maybe when I look back on it in a couple of weeks, I won't be disappointed at all."
Orpik was born in San Francisco and moved with his family when he was 8 to East Amherst, N.Y., just outside Buffalo. His father taught him to skate by allowing him to use a folding chair as a crutch on the ice.
"Yeah, that's pretty late to get started on skates," Orpik said. "But I didn't have a choice. There wasn't much hockey in California."
He had trouble putting on weight in his younger years. But once he matured physically, he began to stand out. Not only as a big kid, but also as a skater.
To accelerate Orpik's development, his parents sent him to Thayer Academy, the Boston hockey powerhouse which produced Phoenix Coyotes star Jeremy Roenick, among others. In the spring of 1998, he was named the most valuable player in Massachusetts' scholastic tournament, and college scouts were following him everywhere he played.
He chose Boston College for that fall and instantly played an integral role, despite joining a team which is among the NCAA's finest. He had a goal, 10 assists and 96 penalty minutes in helping the Eagles reach the Final Four.
This past season, he chipped in a goal, nine assists and a team-high 100 penalty minutes as the Eagles made it to the NCAA championship game before losing to North Dakota.
It was at that tournament that the Penguins became enamored of Orpik.
"He was incredible," said Neal Shea, the Penguins' New England scout and a former player at Boston College. "I mean, here's North Dakota, the biggest team in college hockey, and Brooks is just out there pancaking people the whole game. I'm telling you, people in Pittsburgh are really going to love this kid. He's going to bring people out of their seats with the way he hits guys. He's a horse."
A growing horse at that. Orpik is wild about weightlifting.
"If you could see what this kid does in the weight room, you wouldn't believe it," Shea said. "Most of the kids at Boston College are required to spend two days a week there. But Brooks, he's in there four or five days a week, constantly working. He's 230 pounds, and he is ripped."
Orpik wouldn't disclose how much he bench-presses but acknowledged that it's his favorite pastime.
"That's one of my strong points, I guess. I like working out."
He also likes leveling players, although he's gotten a giggle or two out of reading numerous scouting reports which describe him as mean.
"I guess the guys I play against would say that. People I know away from hockey wouldn't say that at all," Orpik said with a laugh. "But, yeah, I enjoy hitting. The more I hit, the better I play. To be effective, I have to play that way."
Many scouts have likened Orpik to Rob Blake, a perennial All-Star with the Los Angeles Kings who is perhaps the NHL's finest open-ice hitter. Others point to the Dallas Stars' Derian Hatcher, a ferocious checker with limited offensive abilities.
Orpik looks up to another guy.
"Scott Stevens," he said, referring to the New Jersey Devils' ram-tough captain. "I don't know how comparable I am to him, but that's the guy I admire and watch the most. If one guy stuck out, it would be him. I've heard the Rob Blake stuff, but I can't say I'm like him because he's a little more offensive than I am. But, hey, if you want to compare me to Rob Blake, I've got no problem with that."
It isn't likely that the Penguins will sign Orpik in time for next season, which probably won't displease him. He has two years of eligibility at Boston College, and he seems genuinely taken by the idea of returning to continue his career there.
"It wasn't just the hockey," Orpik said. "It's the whole atmosphere, the guys we have there. We're all pretty close. I haven't given much thought to leaving. And if I do go back, I'll probably work on the offensive side of my game. We have some key guys who graduated, so I'll have a chance to do more of that next year."
As for Pittsburgh?
"I'm looking forward to it."
The Penguins made two other draft picks yesterday.
In the second round, they took Shane Endicott, a 6-4, 200-pound center, with the 52nd overall choice. Endicott, 18, is a strong, two-way forward who had 23 goals and 32 assists in 70 games for Seattle of the Western Hockey League. Like Orpik, he dropped much lower in the draft than had been projected. In the final Central Scouting rankings, he was rated 11th among North Americans.
In the third round, they took Peter Hamerlik, a 6-1, 187-pound goaltender, with the 84th overall choice. Hamerlik, 18, had a 3.92 goals-against average in 37 games for the Skalica club in the Slovak Elite League. He was the seventh netminder taken in the draft.
Selections for the final six rounds of the draft will begin today at 11 a.m.
Monday, June 26, 2000
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
CALGARY, Alberta --
But the numbers will show they are bigger.
And the scouting reports will confirm they most definitely are badder.
"We're thrilled," General Manager Craig Patrick said after the final pick of the two-day NHL Entry Draft yesterday at the Canadian Airlines Saddledome. "Our scouts' original lists were designed to get people who had more size and more grit. We feel we were able to get that combination."
"In the past, we haven't emphasized the toughness as much," head scout Greg Malone said. "Going into this draft, we wanted to continue to upgrade our skill level, but we also wanted to work on the size and grit."
They did so in a big way.
The Penguins didn't lean toward any particular position with their 10 choices, choosing three centers, three wingers, two defensemen and two goaltenders. But it's clear that they pushed heavily for players who weren't going to get pushed around:
It was apparent that this draft would be an atypical one from the outset.
With their first choice, 18th overall, the Penguins took Brooks Orpik of Boston College, a rugged defenseman who plays the game with a snarl and uses his 6-3, 230-pound frame to punish opponents. He is precisely the kind of player the Penguins crave as a complement to Bob Boughner and Darius Kasparaitis, the only nasty players currently employed on their blue line.
"He's pretty impressive. A hard, hard hitter," Patrick said of Orpik. "I know our guys were pretty excited to get him."
Excited enough that Patrick isn't ruling out bringing him to the NHL right away.
"You try not to think about it, but you can't help but get tempted. The guy's 6-3, 230 pounds. You're tempted to think about him pretty quickly. But we never take anybody out of school, and we'll encourage him to stay."
The Penguins' scouts weren't done building up muscle.
In the second round, they selected center Shane Endicott from Seattle of the Western Hockey League. He's 6-4, 200 pounds, and looks like he still has plenty of room to grow. He's also a forward who has made his reputation with grinding play in all corners of the rink.
"That's what I take pride in," Endicott said. "I'll give a hit or do whatever it takes so I don't get scored against. I want my coach to think he can put me out on the ice in any situation."
In the fifth round, the Penguins took a gamble on Czech defenseman David Koci, a 6-6 behemoth for the Sparta Praha junior team in Prague. He will require plenty of seasoning, but scouts already like his curiously good mobility for a player his size and the 124 penalty minutes he logged in 47 games this past season.
In the sixth round, the Penguins found more toughness in Patrick Foley, a 6-2, 200-pound left winger at the University of New Hampshire. He had only two goals in 26 games this past season but regularly made an impact with his devastating, open-ice hits. Foley's background in football, no doubt, helped. He starred as a fullback and linebacker for his high school team in Boston and was recruited by several NCAA Division I colleges, including Syracuse and West Virginia.
"I play hockey a different way," Foley said. "I play it tough, in your face. I bring some of that football mentality to my game."
Left winger Jim Abbott, the Penguins' seventh-round pick out of Mars, was Foley's teammate at New Hampshire. He has faced Foley in practice and Orpik in games, and he couldn't contain his glee over the kind of "monster players" his hometown team might be employing in years to come.
"I'm telling you, Foley is an absolute freight train," Abbott said. "Same goes for Orpik. Between those two, we've got us some real bruisers coming to Pittsburgh."
In the ninth and final round, the Penguins found another forward of stature in Roman Simicek, a 28-year-old European professional who could make an impact as soon as next season. Simicek, a Czech who spent this past season with HFK-Hameenlinna in Finland's top league, is a solidly built, 6-2, 200-pound center who plays a physical, two-way game. Ivan Hlinka, the Penguins' new coach, worked with Simicek in the Czech Republic and urged the scouting staff to select him this weekend, believing he can contribute immediately.
To be sure, the Penguins filled a few other needs this weekend, too.
They continued to stockpile skilled players. Right winger Michel Ouellet, the fourth-round pick from Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, flashes a terrific touch around the net. Abbott, the seventh-round pick, has been a natural scorer at every level, from Pittsburgh's midget teams to the NCAA. And right winger Steven Crampton, the eighth-round pick, is a consistent scorer for Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.
The Penguins also addressed what many in the organization feel is a lack of goaltending depth. In the third round, they chose Peter Hamerlik, who could blossom as he moves to a starting role for Slovakia's national junior team next season. And, with their second pick in the ninth round, they took Nick Boucher, who will benefit from plenty of work behind a leaky defense at Dartmouth College.
Malone, who works all year to get to this weekend, doesn't like to grade his draft classes until two or three years after they've had a chance to mature. But he has a growing feeling about this one.
"It's just starting to sink in now, some of the guys we got, some of the size and skill we were able to get. I'm surprised. I think we did better than what I expected. A lot better."
Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2001 Hockey Diva
