< I do not know whether to hate the Bruins management, or respect them for
keeping the payroll's reasonable..>

Bill - Boston ownership/management (just so there are no misunderstandings)
crossed the line along time ago by not doing the decent thing and have for
the longest time been cheap.  It's not like they're Pittsburgh working on a
small budget as Boston makes money hand over fist.  They not only didn't
overpay for decades until recently but they've done the opposite and let
players go for not paying them fair value or the average.  There's the
difference.  My Bs fan friend knows how the Isles owners screwed their
players in the past.  It's no different when the situation is
reversed........especially since Bs ownership/management is loaded.
If you were a Bs fan how would you feel?  They keep the payroll reasonable
now with some players but not others.  Misguided.

< I am guessing, but I think Tom may meant the constantly changing owners
with the Isles. If I am wrong, sorry Tom. <

You got it right Bill.  That's exactly what I meant.  Nice to know that
somebody out there knows what I was trying to say and get across.  It's so
nice to be understood.  hehehe

Tom

<WJWR (620 AM), now WSNR, owned by The Sporting News, is in talks to remain
the flagship station of the Islanders.>

See?  This is what I'm talking about regarding marketing or lack thereof!!
God Help Us!  Sometimes I think the Isles like shooting themselves in the
foot.  WJWR can be heard by about 10 people when the tide is high and the
moon is full and their wires are hooked up to tin cans correctly!  Friggin
unbelievable how the Isles don't help their own cause!  AAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

<Folks living within 320-322 blocks of the Coliseum will be able to receive
the signal only. Block 321 does not work on even nights.<

Sad but probably true.

Tom

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., mstryzone@a... wrote:

> DING DING DING  "We have a winnder!"  LOL
>
> You just gotta love that quote, eh Bill?  <devilish grin>
Seriously though, thank you for all of those articles!  That was
great reading them....I  obviously wouldn't have read them after my
very first game seeing the Isles...at that time I wouldn't have even
known to!  LOL  That was great....>>

   My pleasure. Anyone drawn to a last place team in the middle of
January deserves all the articles I can find.

   It was fun to look back at that for a lot of reasons. It was right
around that time the Panthers went into a funk and to this day have
not recovered. I feel like I remember what Lapointe said, but maybe I
just missed that game. Our list archives only go back so far, I could
not see if I wrote anything about that game.

   But you can bet if he is not putting up the points, someone else
will be chasing him all year this season and that's me.

   Bill

August 1, 2001

Thrashers prospect more mature after spending last season at U. of
Wisconsin

Dany Heatley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NHL entry draft, has
no regrets about delaying his big payday and returning to the
University of Wisconsin last season.

The winger is more mature, about 15 pounds heavier and ready to
contribute to the Thrashers immediately.

"The extra year at Wisconsin did me a lot of good," Heatley, 20,
said. "I don't know if I was ready for the NHL last year. I think I
am now."

More than 30 players took part in the Thrashers' prospect development
camp at the Duluth IceForum outside Atlanta, but Heatley drew the
most attention.

"He has the instinct to score goals," Thrashers general manager Don
Waddell said. "Some players have it and some don't. He's going to
score goals. Give some guys five opportunities, they may score one
goal. Give him five good opportunities and he'll score three."

His team short on proven scorers, Waddell is counting on Heatley to
have an impact as a rookie.

"But there is no pressure to throw him into the top two lines right
away," Waddell said. "We'll give him time to work into that position."

Asked about his expectations for this season, Heatley said, "A good
benchmark for a rookie is 20 goals. If you can score that many, you
have to be real happy. That's one of my goals. I'm going to work hard
this summer and be ready."

Heatley said he and the Thrashers' other young players will benefit
from the prospects development camp. But he's also glad he got to
make a two-game road trip with the Thrashers at the end of last
season after signing.

"It was a good opportunity to be around the guys," said Heatley, who
roomed with veteran center Ray Ferraro. "It wasn't like a game, but
just practicing. I got a feel for the speed and how strong guys were.
Now, I know what to expect."

Heatley, a left-handed shooter, will wear No. 15. That was Andrew
Brunette's number. Brunette, who led the Thrashers in scoring their
first year and was third last season, was allowed to become a free
agent, in part because of the potential of Heatley and other young
players. Brunette signed with Minnesota.

When Heatley came to Atlanta to sign his contract last spring, his
hair was relatively short. Now it's long and curly again - his
trademark in college.

"You know, you have to cut it once a year," Heatley said, laughing.

DEFENSIVE HELP: The Thrashers have high hopes for Swedish defenseman
Daniel Tjarnqvist, 24. "He's definitely ready to play in the NHL,"
Waddell has said numerous times.

Waddell said that he wasn't concerned that the defenseman signed too
late to take part in the team's prospect development camp, which
ended July 31.

The Thrashers acquired the rights to Tjarnqvist in an expansion deal
with Florida. He helped lead his team to the regular-season and
playoff titles in the Swedish Elite League, then led all defensemen
with a plus-12 rating as Sweden won the bronze medal at the 2001
World Championships in Germany.

TWO-YEAR DEAL: Restricted free agent winger Lubos Bartecko, acquired
from St. Louis for a fourth-round draft choice, signed a two-year
contract that will pay him $500,000 this season and $575,000 the
next. He made $440,000 last season.

Bartecko, 25, had 39 points for St. Louis in 1999-2000, but the
native of Slovakia was limited to 50 games and 13 points during an
injury-plagued season. He is being counted on by the Thrashers for an
offensive lift.

MORE MONEY MATTERS: Restricted free agent forward Shean Donovan will
play this season the Thrashers' qualifying offer of a 10 percent
raise. Donovan, 26, made $565,000 last season, when he had 12 goals
and 23 points in 63 games ... The Thrashers avoided salary
arbitration with defenseman Jiri Slegr, signing him to a one-year
deal for $1.8 million. Slegr, who played well after being acquired
from Pittsburgh, made $1.2 million last season.

Guy Curtright is hockey editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., THOMAS P MORGAN <FREEBIRD19@C...>
wrote:

> Bill-comparing the Ranger$ marketing strategy to the Islanders
marketing strategy is like comparing apples and oranges.  It's not
the same, shouldn't be the same and isn't even necessary for the
Ranger$ or close. That's the point!  The Ranger$ haven't sucked for
10 years, haven't played to half full arenas for 10 years and have
been around for 100 years compared to the Isles 30 years.  The
Ranger$ fan base is already there and always will be.>>

  Tom - The marketing strategy should be apples to oranges mostly
because of the corporations that buy seats at the garden to see a
show and the leader of that show is the Knicks. Many corporations
will do whatever it takes to get the best Knick tickets and that
includes picking up the Rangers for best possible location and that
is their guarenteed crowd.

   And the Garden is about being politically correct today more than
ever before, unless it helps the teams win first.

   The Islanders have had the worst deal of any team in pro sports the
last decade and lots of it is about off the ice circumstances, it
goes past marketing and even if I do not agree the strategy they may
be using is less is more, for now. And they do not have a pro
basketball team to help package games.

  Since 1988, the Rangers have missed the playoffs six times, they are
not exactly setting records.  The Rangers have played in front of
empty seats in the mid seventies, mid eighties and even today
announced sellouts and have about 12,000 fans in the seats.

  Only when the are getting burried in Feb and March will guys like
Brooks bring out the fact that the place is half empty. When it's the
Isles it becomes the lead story of their game.

> When I mentioned the 2-3 daily articles it meant that the Post,
Times and Daily News each do an article on the Ranger$ every day
during the season and sometimes 2 each.>>

   Very rarely have I see two articles in any paper all season on the
Rangers in the four major papers. It was always one, but we can have
some fun with it and keep count a bit this season. The Rangers were
so bad toward the end of last season they were getting our A.P
coverage on some road games.

> Sunday's Post and Sunday's Daily News column by Sherry Ross is
supposed to be an NHL roundup column but usually turns out to be a
Ranger$ roundup column and the same thing holds true for
Carpiniello.  He writes 2 columns daily in my local paper and 2 on
Sunday all geared towards the Ranger$ >>

   And that is really the problem with the sport in this area. People
like Sherry Ross have been around forever and really they are not
interested in outside New York articles and just do their rumors and
gossip around the only team they make any effort to cover. If they
are too lazy to make an honest effort on the Devils, they are not
going to tell us what is really happening with the Leafs, Stars and
Wings.

  They are supposed to cover the NHL, in those columns and tell us
things we may not know. Shame on them for being lazy. As for the
Westchester Journal, they have a Ranger fan in the seat at the
moment. If they hired an Islander fan or a Devils fan the readers
would get that coverage.

  Bill

Tuesday, July 31, 2001
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
SportsTicker


ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild continued a busy offseason
Tuesday, signing free agent defenseman Brad Brown.

Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Brown, 25, became an unrestricted free agent when the New York
Rangers decided against tendering him a qualifying offer. He had one
goal, three assists and 107 penalty minutes in his only season with
the club.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Brown missed the final 22 games of his fifth
NHL season after breaking his right foot Feb. 23 in a game at
Pittsburgh.

He was acquired by the Rangers on Oct. 5 from Chicago.

In 179 regular-season games with the Rangers, Blackhawks and Montreal
Canadiens, Brown has two goals, 19 assists and 468 penalty minutes.

Brown was the 18th overall pick in the 1994 draft by Montreal but
played in only 13 games over three seasons with his original team.

Brown becomes one of the most veteran defensemen on a team that
featured three rookie blue-liners during its expansion season of 2000-
01.

After finishing second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 25-39-
13-5 mark, the Wild have acquired center Sergei Zholtok and signed
left wing Andrew Brunette, defenseman Jason Marshall and goaltenders
Dwayne Roloson and Martin Brochu.

August 1, 2001


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Free-agent Aris Brimanis has agreed to terms
on a one-year contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Brimanis, 29, had no goals and eight assists in 56 games for the New
York Islanders last season.

He has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers. In 95 career games,
he has two goals and 12 assists.

In a message dated 8/1/01 9:59:48 PM, FREEBIRD19@... writes:

<< WJWR can be heard by about 10 people when the tide is high and the
moon is full and their wires are hooked up to tin cans correctly! >>

Yeah, and try picking that dopey station up out here in East Hampton!  Any
word if that FM station affiliate (WDRE?) will be airing some games?  I can
pick up that one in my car but not in the house.  ARGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve

Tuesday, July 31, 2001
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell
Special to ESPN.com

Four years ago, the negativity of arbitration took on such a nasty
tone that it resulted in then-Islanders goaltender Tommy Salo
breaking down in tears.

Boston rejected an arbitrator's award to Dmitri Khristich in 1999. He
now plays for Washington, his second team since the decision.
One person who was present at the time described the brief put forth
by general manager Mike Milbury as "the most horrific character
assassination ever seen in an arbitration for an NHL player."

The team ended up winning that one with Salo being awarded $750,000
plus incentives, which was what the Islanders had offered him prior
to the hearing. Salo had been seeking $1.1 million.

Well, it's arbitration time again folks. The hearing dates begin
August 1 and run through the 15th. First up on the docket is Boston
Bruins' right wing Bill Guerin, who is scheduled to plead his case in
Toronto on August 1.

As history has shown us, the process is not for the faint of heart.
The team puts forth all the reasons why they shouldn't have to pay
the player the salary he's asking. The players' agent submits why the
club can't survive without that player.

Guerin, no doubt, will have a much better case than some. He tallied
a career high in goals with 40, assists with 45 and points with 85.
Guerin made $3,212,500 last season and is in line for a major raise.
If he can't reach an agreement with the Bruins on a long-term
agreement prior to the hearing, he said he will play out the year
after which he will become an unrestricted free agent.

To go or not to go, that is the question
Why do some players elect arbitration while others, even though they
have the right, decide it isn't for them? For some who take that
route, it's a reflection of the confidence the player has in the
season he's just finished. If the player's side can find real
examples of other higher-paid players who have mirrored their
success, they can try to make a case that they deserve to be paid on
the higher end of what they're asking for. At the very least,
arbitration can provide some negotiating leverage.

Last summer, Philadelphia forward John Leclair earned a record $7-
million award in arbitration after posting a 51-goal, 87-point season
in 1997-98. Colorado center Joe Sakic was headed for arbitration
before agreeing to terms last summer on a one-year $7.9 million
contract.

Those who are able to file but elect not to, produce their own kind
of peril. Just ask Bruins' goaltender Byron Dafoe, who had a career
season in 1998-99. Instead of filing for arbitration, he elected to
take his chances by trying to force a contract. He wound up holding
out, but that only served to back him into a corner with nowhere to
go. The team stood fast and said it was prepared to let him sit the
entire year. In the end -- and to his credit -- Dafoe realized he
couldn't let it continue. He fired then-agent Ron Salcer and went
into the Bruins' offices to negotiate a deal. Because of injuries,
Dafoe has yet to regain the form that earned him 32 victories and a
1.99 goals-against average two years ago.

This summer, the biggest head scratcher is yet another Bruin --
center Jason Allison, who finished tied for fourth in the league in
scoring. Reportedly, Allison is seeking a three-year deal worth $8.5
million, $9 million and $9.5 million. The Bruins are reportedly
offering $5.5 million, $6 million and $6.5 million.

Allison said it wasn't a lack of confidence in his case that led him
to skip arbitration, it was other things.

"I feel that if they want me, they should pay me and [I should] not
have to get it from an arbitrator," he said. "Nobody comparable goes
to arbitration. Their teams all take care of them. Who had 95 points
last year is going to arbitration and who has in the past gone to
arbitration with 95 points? Show me a guy with 95 points who has gone
to arbitration. I bet you can't find one. I'd be guaranteed to get my
money, but it's not just about money. I want to play for a winning
team and a team that's going to make a run at the Cup and to me, the
only way you do that is to build by taking care of your guys. It's an
issue of fairness. You don't see Dallas and Detroit and Colorado
having their better players going to arbitration. They get them
signed and take care of them. They redo their deals halfway through
the year and then they add guys. If you're going to build a
championship team, that's the way it's done. I want to win."

He said he has no fear of arbitration, he just doesn't believe it's
the right way to go about getting what he wants.

"With my numbers I'd do really well in arbitration, there's no
question," he said. "John Leclair got $7 million for [77 points, 40
of which were goals in 1999-2000]. No one I know of who's had 95 has
gone. Who knows? I might get more than I was asking in arbitration,
maybe not. The bottom line is you're going to make enough money in
your career that it's not going to make a difference if you're a
million off, it's about principle and being paid fairly and being
paid market value. That's what it is about. If my market value was $1
million, that's what I'd be asking for. It's not about the dollar
amount, it's about where you fit in on the league scale."

Proceed at your own risk
The Bruins made history when they walked away from an award to their
former forward, Dmitri Khristich, allowing him to walk as a free
agent. Khristich was given $2.8 million by an arbitrator in the
summer of 1999. The team's offer was $1.95 million and Khristich was
seeking $3.5 million. The previous season, he had 71 points in 79
games, but he was a virtual ghost in the final 25 games of the
regular season and was even worse in the playoffs.

"We needed our high-priced players in those big games and didn't get
it from him," said team president Harry Sinden, who was then the
GM. "We didn't get anything."

It was the first time a team exercized the option since it was
negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement that ended
the lockout in 1995.

"This was put in to handle what people refer to as a runaway
decision, like a runaway judge," Sinden said. "In case that happens,
you had to have some way out."

No such thing as a good case
Some players in the last decade have had bad experiences in
arbitration that have nothing to do general managers putting them
down like Milbury did when he referred to Salo as "one of the worst-
conditioned athletes on the Islanders" whose "mental approach also is
suspect."

There were none more disappointed than Ray Bourque when he lost his
case in October of 1993.

It's hard to forget the sight of Bourque, fully dressed in his
uniform including his skates, just prior to the Bruins' opening night
game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on a pay phone
trying to find out what the decision was.

  Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that defensemen should be considered
as defensemen, forwards should be considered as forwards and
goaltenders should be considered as goaltenders. ... Agent Steve
Freyer argued that Ray Bourque was one of the top players in the
league, period, and should be paid among the elite. Instead, his
reward made him the highest paid blueliner at that time and nothing
more.

Bourque was awarded $2.25 million a season as part of a two-year
award. It was an increase from $1.196 million, but significantly less
than he had been seeking -- $4.25 million.

It was an unsettling process for the former Bruins' captain and
future Hall of Famer. When Bourque left the hearing in Tampa on
October 1, 1993, he was humming the theme from the "Twilight Zone."

Why Bourque lost had nothing to do with him not being a great player.
At that time, he had won four Norris Trophies and was still very much
in his prime at age 32. However, arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that
defensemen should be considered as defensemen, forwards should be
considered as forwards and goaltenders should be considered as
goaltenders. That was the argument the Bruins made and the one Bloch
agreed with. Bourque's side -- led by his long-time agent Steve
Freyer -- argued that Bourque was one of the top players in the
league, period, and should be paid among the elite. Instead, his
reward made him the highest paid blueliner at that time and nothing
more.

The reverberations were felt league-wide.

Veteran defenseman Chris Chelios, who was then with Chicago, called
the decision "a disgrace." NHL Players' Association executive
director Bob Goodenow said the decision "defied logic."

Not long after the award, as a gesture of good faith, the Bruins
ripped up the contract and negotiated a new, long-term deal with
Bourque that was more than the arbitrator had given him.

Though Bourque's was one of the more high profile cases ever in
arbitration, former Bruins' defenseman Garry Galley hated the process
every bit as much. After losing his hearing and publicly criticizing
the process, Boston traded him to Philadelphia on January 2, 1992.

That was before the league changed the system, when arbitration
hearings were actually held during the season and were giant
distractions for all involved. The league also reduced the waiting
period. Galley, after his hearing, had to wait seven weeks for a
decision.

"I have nothing good to say about my experience," Galley said two
years after his ordeal while at the same time offering a spirited
defense in support of Bourque's case. "I have no hard feelings. They
were an organization that turned my career around. But after I lost,
I knew I wasn't going to stay there. I knew, win or lose, I'd
probably have to move."

The conventional wisdom is that for a deal to be fair, both sides
have to think it's unfair. If the team thinks it's too much and the
player thinks it's too little, that usually means it's right on the
money.

As the hearings proceed, there likely will be some controversial
awards and there likely could be some players moving on to other
teams.

There most assuredly will be some heated exchanges.

The gloves are coming off. Ready or not.

By John McGourty | NHL.com | August 1, 2001
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Expect Zdeno Chara, a native of Trencin, Czech Republic, to
straighten out a few opponents again this season.

Chara will be a big hit in Ottawa. In fact, he should be a highlight
reel full of hits in the Canadian capital.

Chara led all National Hockey League players during the 2000-01
season with 373 hits while playing with the New York Islanders. The
Ottawa Senators acquired Chara in a Draft-day trade last month for
dissatisified center Alexei Yashin.

The Senators were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference
during the regular season but were swept in the first round of the
Stanley Cup playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Team officials
bemoaned a lack of toughness and grit.

Management partly solved that problem and completely solved another
by sending Yashin, who'd had contract problems in Ottawa, to the
Islanders for Chara, Bill Muckalt and the second choice in the 2001
NHL Entry Draft that Ottawa used to select Jason Spezza.

On a team that was criticized for a lack of competitiveness, Chara
will hit and use his size to keep opponents away from the net,
Muckalt will fight for every puck and Spezza has a burning desire to
get to the NHL and prove he's better than top choice, Ilja Kovalchuk.

Chara, at 6-9 the tallest player in National Hockey League history,
has been in the League for only three seasons but he has compiled an
impressive record as a checking defenseman.

Chara, who weighs 255 pounds, was second in the NHL in 1999-00 with
309 hits and led all rookies in 1998-99 with 214 hits.

Chara was very popular with the Islanders and their fans. Everybody
likes a big guy who sticks up for his teammates and protects the
goalie, even if he's not a real great skater.

In Ottawa, he'll be expected to do the same and to block out the
League's strongest power forwards. It's a job he accepts with
enthusiasm and perhaps to disprove the theory that Europeans don't
hit as much as North Americans.


Ottawa's acquisition of Chara should go a long way in making them a
more physical squad.

The Philadelphia Flyers Dan McGillis, with 292 hits, is the only
Canadian in the top five and the Calgary Flames Denis Gauthier, with
252 hits, is the only Quebec-born defenseman in the top ten.

Eight of the top ten players in the NHL's Hits statistical category
are defenseman but seven of the top 20 are forwards. The Detroit Red
Wings had three players in the top 20 â€" Martin Lapointe, Darren
McCarty and Kirk Maltby â€" but Lapointe, an unrestricted free agent,
recently signed a four-year deal with the Boston Bruins.

The Florida Panthers Robert Svehla, a native of Martin, Slovakia, was
second with 354 hits. Svehla has missed only six games in the last
six seasons while averaging 43 points.

Darius Kasparaitis, a native of Elektrenai, Lithuania, was third with
351 hits. Kasparaitis is one of hockey's best open-ice checkers and
an irritating pest who draws penalties from opponents who lose their
temper at what he says and does.

If he hadn't already dispelled the "soft" slander, Kasparaitis earned
a lot of respect in the playoffs when he squeezed his broken, swollen
foot into his skate boot to play the final two games of the Eastern
Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils.

Anaheim's Vitaly Vishnevski was fifth with 286 hits. The 21-year-old
native of Kharkov, Ukraine, has only two years of NHL experience and
appears to have a very bright future. He controls the puck well, hits
hard, can shoot and likes to join the rush. Anaheim selected
Vishnevski with the fifth pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Jeff O'Neill finished sixth with 263 hits. O'Neill, a center for the
Carolina Hurricanes, was the highest ranked forward.

Right wing Lapointe was next with 259 hits, five ahead of Edmonton
Oilers defenseman Jason Smith. Gauthier has 252 hits, two more than
Dallas Stars defenseman and captain Derian Hatcher.

Kasparaitis was first with 292 even-strength hits, followed by Svehla
(265) and Chara (264).

Chara led with 108 short-handed hits, followed by the Dallas Stars
Richard Matvichuk (90) and Hatcher (82). The Islanders Mark Parrish,
a right wing, led with 31 power-play hits, followed by O'Neill and
the Philadelphia Flyers Keith Primeau, who each had 25.

August 1, 2001


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 5:40 p.m. ET

MONTREAL (AP) -- The Montreal Canadiens signed all eight of their
remaining free agents Wednesday, including captain Saku Koivu and
winger Brian Savage.

Also signed were forwards Chad Kilger, Arron Asham and Xavier
Delisle, defensemen Francis Bouillon and Gennady Razin and goaltender
Mathieu Garon.

That comes after the acquisitions of forwards Yanic Perreault, Joe
Juneau and Andreas Dackell and defenseman Stephane Quintal.

For the first time in a few years, there will be no holdouts and no
injuries hampering the start of the team's training camp in September.

The Canadiens are also waiting to hear back from unrestricted free
agent Brett Hull, who may decide this week where he signs.

``We're happy that we have everybody done,'' general manager Andre
Savard said. ``You'd like to start the season with everybody under
contract. It gives us a better chance of having a good start to the
season, that's for sure.

``It's very positive. We're real happy with the situation.''

Two years ago Koivu, Savage and Martin Rucinsky missed the start of
training camp while waiting for new contracts. Last year, goalie Jose
Theodore missed training camp in a contract dispute.

Koivu accepted a qualifying offer of $3.3 million. Koivu, who had 17
goals and 30 assists in 54 games last season, hasn't played a full
season since his rookie year in 1995-96 due to injuries.

Savage rejected his qualifying offer but signed a one-year deal worth
$2.2 million -- a $300,000 raise from last season when he had 21
goals and 24 assists in 62 games. He rejected a three-year deal
because he wants to test unrestricted free agency next summer.

Kilger blossomed after being acquired in a trade from Edmonton last
season. He had career highs with 14 goals and 18 assists in 77 games
while also killing penalties. He accepted Montreal's qualifying offer
of $1.025 million.

620 WSNR
Sports talk (Sporting News Radio) Team coverage: NY Islanders NY
Liberty (WNBA), NY/NJ MetroStars (MLS)

660 WFAN
Sports Talk Team coverage: Mets, Knicks, Jets , Rangers

710 WOR
Talk Team coverage: NJ Nets

770 WABC
Talk Team coverage: Yankees, NJ Devils.

I know I was lucky to get my question in and I thought I would throw
out the link for anyone here who may have something they would like
to ask.

Bill

http://www.newsday.com/sports/daily/presspass.htm

Aucoin and Parrish have turned down qualifying offers, which means
they want more than ten percent.

Adrian Aucoin
Kenny Jonsson
Alexander Kharitonov
Jason Krog
Mark Parrish
Alexei Yashin
Michael Peca

WEVD 1050 am is being bought by Disney/ABC and radio and will operate
as Espn daily in this area as an all-sports radio network beginning
September 1st.

The article states they plan to compete with WFAN. What this means
for hockey remains to be seen, but ABC does have television rights to
the NHL, and the Finals. If it is like those Brent Musburger updates
on College Football, they might as well not bother.

Bill

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., THOMAS P MORGAN <FREEBIRD19@C...>
wrote:

> Bill - Boston ownership/management (just so there are no
misunderstandings) crossed the line along time ago by not doing the
decent thing and have for the longest time been cheap. >>

  Tom - I just am not that sure they are being that awful toward their
fan base. Harry Sinden came out and said the Rangers bought a Stanley
Cup years ago and hockey fans across North America agreed. I cannot
remember many circumstances where Boston just destroyed their playoff
chances to save money. I know about Kristich, Carter and they got rid
of Bourque to save money. I guess the big question is where is that
teams payroll ? My guess is 30-40 mil, which does not seem totally
unreasonable. Maybe I am wrong, don't know.

<It's not like they're Pittsburgh working on a small budget as Boston
makes money hand over fist.  They not only didn't overpay for decades
until recently but they've done the opposite and let players go for
not paying them fair value or the average.  There's the
difference. >>

  I am trying to think of great Bruins the last few decades who were
let go over money ? Oates comes to mind. The other true star retired
with injuries. I cannot think of many stars in Boston unless I go
back to Esposito, Cashman, Middleton, Orr, Cheevers.

> If you were a Bs fan how would you feel?  They keep the payroll
reasonable now with some players but not others.  Misguided.>>

   Good question. I guess I would be waiting on Allison to see what
the deal is and if something can get done. It reminds me of the
Palffy situtation a lot. I think Allison is asking for a ton of cash
at 8 mil and the offer around six million is not that unfair, there
should be some common ground to work with. The Jacobs family is not
the Milsteins when it comes to sports. And the same summer Palffy
could not get his deal was the one the Islanders handed Jason Krog
two million dollar and spent five mil on a scoreboard and new glass.

  I guess when it comes to organizations it depends on the
circumstances inside the doors that make things misguided. I have not
seem enough from this end to really know either way if it's all the
Boston owners or just being fiscally responcible. If I see a payroll
near the league avgerage I would likely think that is fair enough. I
guess I feel that way because if every big market threw it's
financial weight around the Islanders would be finished.

  Bill

Lets take a quick look at what the team has by position on kind of a
grand scale. Some players were put at the positions they played in
junior. I did not include Brian Collins, Ottoson because we know they
are not going to be part of the teams camp. I left Weinhandl on the
list because he may be coming only if he has a spot. Any late invites
may not be on this list.

Lots of veteran defenders. After Mezei does the team have one
defensive prospect that is young ?

Rick DiPietro G
Garth Snow G
Dusan Salficky  G
Andy Chiodo  G
Guy St Germain
Steven Valiquette

2 Branislav Mezei D
4 Roman Hamrlik D
7 Kevin Haller D
29 Kenny Jonsson D
33 Eric Cairns D
Adrian Aucoin D
Ken Sutton D
Chris Armstrong D
Dick Tarnstrom-26 years old
Ray Giroux
Radek Martinek-29 years old
Marco Kiprusoff-26 years old
Igor Korolev
Ray Schultz
Jan Holub  D


8 Jason Krog C
10 Mats Lindgren C
14 Jason Blake C
38 Dave Scatchard C
Alexei Yashin C
Mike Peca C
Shawn Bates  C
Cory Stillman C
Justin Mapletoft


15 Brad Isbister LW
12 Oleg Kvasha C/LW
13 Claude Lapointe LW
Marko Tuomainen  LW 28 years old
Trent Hunter-21 years old
Raffi Torres
Marco Charpantier-20 years old

20 Steve Webb RW
21 Mariusz Czerkawski RW
25 Juraj Kolnik RW 20 years old
27 Mark Parrish RW
Alexander Kharitonov  RW 25 years old
Mike Bray  RW
Bryan Perez  RW
Peter Mika
Mattias Weinhandl-21 years old


Some others

Roman Kuhtinov  - - - 12/1/75 -
Juha-Pekka Ketola  F 6-1 178 1/21/1983 Rauma

This was on Hockey's Future Website today. Really well done.

Posted by Joe Muccia on 08/02/2001


  Recently, the Islanders announced some of the front office and staff
of their brand new AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport SoundTigers. Gordie
Clark was named the General Manager and Steve Stirling was hired
shortly after as the first head coach of the new franchise. David
Baseggio was hired as an assistant coach, with the expressed purpose
of working with the Isles young defensive prospects. Former Islanders
owner Roy Boe owns the SoundTigers. It is kind of weird how that
worked out; Boe left the Worcester Ice Cats organization (the St.
Louis Blues primary affiliate) to return to an Islanders organization
that he brought into the NHL.

I would like to look at the possible roster for the SoundTigers,
broken down by position. For the most part the list is done in no
particular order. Some of the players listed may stay in their native
countries or at college so this list could very well change before
the puck drops on the SoundTigers first game.

Center
Along with defense and goaltending, this is one of the deepest
positions for the SoundTigers. Due to depth on the Islanders, some
possible NHLers will probably appear on the Tigers roster.

1. Justin Mapletoft - the Isles 5th pick in 1999 had a monster season
for the WHL Red Deer Rebels. He posted 43 goals and 120 points in 70
games. Under the tutelage of former Islanders great, Brent Sutter,
the 5'11", 207lb. center took his game to new heights. Originally
thought of as a defensive prospect, his offensive explosion was an
unexpected surprise. Expect to see Justin centering the Tigers first
or second line and playing in all situations.

2. Jason Krog - signed as an undrafted free agent, his contract has
expired and there has been no word whether or not the Isles will
resign him. They do retain his rights though. There is no doubt Jason
has excellent vision and passing skills. His biggest problem is size
and footwork. Last year, Ottawa defenseman Karel Rachunek destroyed
Jason behind the Ottawa net while he was making a pass into the slot.
If he was more fleet of foot he might have avoided the check that
cost him a good portion of his season. Before the injury, Jason
showed excellent poise and skill on the Isles dreadful power play. If
retained by the Isles, Jason could also find himself centering the
Tigers first or second line and getting considerable power play time.

3. Petr Mika - the 6'4", 195lbs. centerman is huge. Mika is still
young at 23 and could, with the right program, put some weight on his
tall frame. He was out of his element in the few games he played for
the Isles in the 1999-2000 season. He seems to be destined for third
line duty with the Tigers.

4. Brian Collins - Collins is the wildcard of the bunch. He is more
offensively talented than Mika and this alone would put him ahead on
the Tigers depth chart. Collins, drafted in the 3rd round in 1999,
had an excellent season for the Terriers, showing proficiency on the
power play and even scoring a hat trick during the Beanpot
Tournament. In all probability, the young centerman will return to
Boston University for his final two years.

5. Marco Charpentier - posted 57 goals and 112 points in 71 games for
Baie Comeau (QMJHL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent after
attending the Isles 2000 training camp. Marco scored in all
situations (15 PPG's, 6 SHG's and 9 GWG's for Baie Comeau) and has
good size at 6', 200lbs. He could be one of those undrafted gems that
makes a difference. Look for him to end up in Bridgeport or with the
Trenton Titans (the Isles ECHL affiliate).

6. Shawn Bates - due to the Isles depth at center, the versatile
Bates could find himself playing on the Tigers. He is a natural
center, but can play any forward position. Shawn has played for Isles
Head Coach Peter Laviolette during stints with the Bruins and AHL
Providence. He has great speed and aptitude for penalty killing and
the defensive aspects of hockey. He is also talented enough
offensively to not look out of place on the power play. If Krog is
not retained, Bates will take his place as the first or second line
center. If Krog is signed, Bates will probably shift to left wing,
due to the lack of depth there.


The Islanders also own the rights to centers Bjorn Melin, Juha-Pekka
Ketola and Dmitri Upper. At last years training camp, Upper played
well having a gritty in-your-face style mixed with decent puck
skills. He returned to his Russian team needing to work on face offs
and bulking up his 176lb. frame. While, Upper will most likely be at
camp, it is unknown if Melin and Ketola will attend. The Isles also
have 2001 4th round pick, Cory Stillman, but due to organizational
depth at center he could find himself back in juniors. The Isles feel
Stillman could be the steal of the 2001 draft.

Left Wing
This is probably the thinnest position for the Tigers. The only
legitimate left wing prospect, Raffi Torres, has a better than
average shot at making the Islanders in September.

1. Raffi Torres - at 5'11", 207 lbs. Raffi is built like a tank. He
has the ability to score from anywhere (goal crease, booming slapper,
you name it he can do it), deliver the big hit, make the pretty pass,
backcheck, forecheck and win a fight. He posted 33 goals, 70 points
and 76 PIM's in 55 games for Brampton. His value to a team cannot be
estimated, proof: his one game suspension in the OHL playoffs sent
Brampton into a spiral that eventually cost them the hard-fought
series. If Raffi does not make the Isles, he will be the first line
left wing on even strength and power plays.

Right Wing
Where the Tigers have almost no depth at left wing, the total
opposite is true of right wing. The Tigers could have at least four
solid players available for the start of the season.

1. Juraj Kolnik - While with the Isles last year, he at times looked
like a child skating with the adults, even so there is no doubting
Juraj's offensive skills. He has a rocket, proven at the expense of
the Edmonton Oilers (hopefully for the Isles with the first of many
two goal games) last year. At 5'10", 182 lbs. Kolnik is small and not
especially fast but he has been working hard to improve his skating
and back checking. A pure sniper, this youngster could find himself
on the Islanders next year due to lack of goal scorers.

2. Mattias Weinhandl - Prior to the Sedin brothers turning pro with
the Canucks, it was thought that they carried Mattias along when he
was the right wing for them. He destroyed that myth by leading
perennial Swedish Elite powerhouse MoDo in points, power play goals
and game winning goals. He finished second in league MVP voting to
present day Toronto Maple Leaf Mikeal Renberg. He has excellent
hands, speed and passing ability. If Mattias comes to the U.S. he
will probably end up in Bridgeport to get used to North American
hockey and lifestyle.

3. Trent Hunter - A big man at 6'3", 195 lbs., Hunter excels at doing
the dirty work in the corners and at the crease. Tough to move and
defend against, his biggest knock has been his skating, which he has
been working on improving. Not especially quick, but with excellent
hands, he could develop into a Dave Andreychuk-type player. Depending
on where Kolnik and Weinhandl end up, Hunter could play right wing on
any one of the top three lines along with power play.

4. Marko Tuomainen - Although he posted excellent numbers at Lowell
last year, he was unable to duplicate those numbers for the Kings.
Marko has good hockey sense and plays excellent defensive hockey.
Offensively, he has a deceptive wrist shot and a booming slapshot.
Due to the plethora of offensive talent that will possibly be in
Bridgeport next year, Marko will undoubtedly draw many of the penalty
killing and checking line assignments.

5. Alexander Kharitonov - Unfortunately for Alex, he has three things
going against him: he is small, he does not have goal scorers'
instincts and finally he is a right winger (of which this
organization has many). He does have excellent speed, passing ability
and chemistry with Alexei Yashin. With Czerkawski, Parrish and
possibly Kolnik and/or Tuomainen manning the right side on Long
Island, this speedy winger could find himself in Bridgeport.


The Islanders also own the rights to Kristofer Ottosson. It is
unknown whether Ottosson will come over from Sweden to attend camp.
Defense

This year the Islanders made a concerted effort to improve not only
the defensive depth of the organization but the quality of that
depth. Both Aris Brimanis and Anders Myrvold are gone. Brimanis was
not resigned (the Ducks signed Aris Aug. 1st) and Myrvold spurned an
Islanders offer and returned to Europe. To replace them the Islanders
signed Dick Tarnstrom, Marko Kiprosuff and brought back Ray Giroux.
Branislav Mezei will almost certainly be on the Island this year.
That will free up one spot in Bridgeport. With Hamrlik, Jonsson,
Haller, Cairns, Mezei, Aucoin and Sutton rounding out the Isles top
seven defensive spots many good young defenders will find themselves
in Bridgeport. With the organization now having depth, the youngsters
will be in Bridgeport refining their game and not being thrown to the
wolves on the Island, as was the case in the last few years.

1. Ray Giroux - Ray returns to the Isles organization after a year
hiatus in Finland. He played well there and was one of his team's
most dependable defenders. The Isles can only hope that Ray's time in
Finland does for him what it did for Brian Rafalski of the Devils. At
only 6', 180lbs. he gets pushed around a bit as a defender. With any
luck, Ray used his time in Finland to improve his positional play.
Ray has excellent speed, passing skills and vision. At times during
the 1999-2000 season, Butch Goring even used him as a forward. He
remains a very capable power play point man. In addition to power
play duties, Ray will probably play on one of the two top defensive
pairings in Bridgeport.

2. Marko Kiprosuff - Older brother of the Sharks goaltender, Mikka
Kiprosuff, Marko was originally a Montreal Canadiens draft pick. A
close friend of Montreal captain Saku Koivu, Marko has decent puck
skills and hockey smarts. He plays a conservative style that leads to
few errors. He does not take many chances. More of a stay at home
defenseman, Marko will probably be paired with a puck rushing
defenseman. Depending on whether he adapts to North American hockey
better than his last attempt, Marko could end up anywhere in the top
six of the Tigers defense.

3. Dick Tarnstrom - Of average size, Tarnstrom has very good puck
skills. He effectively makes the first pass out of the defensive
zone. Like Marko Kiprosuff, Tarnstrom plays a conservative style, but
with good individual skills. Tarnstrom has good offensive and
defensive instincts so he may end up playing in all situations (PP,
PK and regular shift). Because he plays a more consistent two-way
game, he has a good shot to be one of the top four defensemen on the
Tigers.

4. Evgeny Korolev - At 6'1", 186lbs., Korolev is a steady low-risk
defenseman who has played well for the Islanders on emergency call-up
basis. Recently resigning with the Isles for two years, he also holds
the distinction of being drafted by the Isles twice. Although not
terribly big, Korolev combines decent positional play and good
passing skills. Larger forwards can push him around and this is his
downfall. He will likely round out the top four in Bridgeport. If he
cannot bulk up to improve his play against larger forwards that are
prevelant in the NHL, who could be a staple of the Tigers defense for
a long time.

5. Radek Martinek - This 6'1", 200lb. defender could possibly play on
the top defensive pairing in Bridgeport. He skates well and is a good
shooter. After his impressive showing at the World's, it was thought
that he might even push Haller and/or Sutton out of a job at Nassau
Coliseum. Keep an eye on Radek; I believe he has the best chance out
of this group to end up permanently with the Islanders.

6. Ray Schultz - "Sgt." Schultz, as he is called, has also played
well for the Isles when called upon. He plays a hard checking,
sandpaper-in-your swimsuit style that is appreciated by fans and
teammates alike. Additionally, "Sarge" is not afraid to drop the
gloves to come to the defense of a teammate. He plays within his
limits and is a solid no-frills/thrills defenseman who does his best
to get the job done. He doesn't have the skills to be an everyday NHL
defenseman, but will be there when the Isles call. The fans in
Bridgeport will love the intensity that Schultz will bring every
night, especially when he crunches some unfortunate opposing player
into the boards.

7. Chris Armstrong - Signed to a one-year contract on Aug. 1st by the
Isles, Armstrong was an unrestricted free agent who had played three
games for the Minnesota Wild last year. The 6', 215lb. left-handed
shooting defenseman will provide even more depth for the staff at
Bridgeport


In addition to the players listed above, the Islanders own the rights
to defensemen Johan Halvardsson, Arto Tukio and Ryan Caldwell, but it
is not known whether any of the three will even attend Islander
training camp in September.

Goalies
It seems that the Islanders have a glut of goaltenders. They just
don't have glut of experienced goaltenders. It also seems to be Mike
Milbury's wish that Rick DiPietro remain with the Islanders this
year. Unfortunately, it would be much better for his development and
confidence if he started the year in Bridgeport. I will not list
DiPietro here because of this.

1. Stephen Valiquette - It looked as if "Big Valley" was ready to
stake his claim in the NHL last year. John Vanbiesbrouck's wonky back
had him in and out of the lineup. Wade Flaherty was in need of a back-
up and then wouldn't you know it, one of Valiquette's Springfield
Falcon teammates stepped on his barefoot with a skate in the locker
room. The damage done to his foot healed but another chance was
missed buy the amiable goalie. Stephen is the biggest goalie to ever
play in an NHL game (yes even bigger than Ken Dryden). Unless
DiPietro ends up in Bridgeport or "Big Valley" is totally outplayed
by Salficky and/or St. Germain, Stephen should have the inside track
on the number one goalie spot. He challenges well, has good lateral
movement and is surprisingly agile for a big man. In addition to
those qualities he is one of the nicest people in the game. Stephen
recently resigned with the Islanders for two years.

2. Dusan Salficky - The Islanders are hoping to reproduce the magic
the Flyers came up with last year. In a move reminiscent of the
Flyers and Roman Cechmanek, the Isles drafted the 29-year-old
Salficky in the 5th round of this year's draft. Dusan was considered
one of the top goalies in the Czech Extra League. The physically
flexible Salficky and the Islanders both haggled a bit, but in the
end were able to hammer out a one-year one-way contract. There is the
possibility that Salficky could end up on the Island with Garth Snow.
Regardless of where he ends up, from his interviews Dusan seems to
have an engaging personality and maybe has something to prove. The
competition will do both the Isles and SoundTigers good.

3. David St. Germain - Teammate of Marco Charpentier on Baie Comeau
(QMJHL), the underrated St. Germain posted very respectable numbers
for a goalie in the run-and-gun "Q" (G-53, W/L 32-13-4, 3.48
GAA, .899 save percentage). His numbers got even better in the
playoffs where he went 6-4-0 with a shutout, 2.55 GAA and .920 save
percentage. With David being relatively young and the crease on the
Island and Bridgeport already crowded, he could be destined for
Trenton. It won't be long before fans start seeing him in a
SoundTiger uniform.

Conclusion
For the first time in quite a while, the Islanders have
organizational depth. The quality of that depth has been improved
markedly. They will also benefit from having a farm team that is only
a short ferry ride away. They also have chosen the staff so that the
Islanders management can be comfortable in knowing that a coaching
theory and style that they approve of is being taught. Hopefully, the
Islanders will have a long and successful relationship with
Bridgeport in the same manner as the Sabres and their top farm, the
Rochester Americans or the St. Louis Blues and the Worcester Ice Cats
and the Colorado Avalanche and the Hershey Bears. The foundation of
any great team starts with the quality of its top developmental farm
team. Players that are taught by an AHL staff that is of one mind
with the NHL club staff are easier to plug into the parent teams
lineup. Good luck SoundTigers, I for one can't wait to see your
graduates don the white, blue and orange!

Mid-summer


  Rank    TEAM           Record          Bottom Line
1 - Colorado Avalanche 52-16-10-4 Defending champs. Big three are
back.
2 - New Jersey Devils 48-19-12-3 Only big loss is Mogilny - not a
huge deal.
3 - Detroit Red Wings 49-20-9-4 Adding Hasek, Robitaille a definite
plus.
4 - St. Louis Blues 43-22-12-5 Weight good. Netminders questionable.
5 - Dallas Stars 48-24-8-2 Turgeon, Audette, Lumme add experience.
6 - Philadelphia Flyers 43-25-11-3 Can still improve with Lindros
trade.
7 - Toronto Maple Leafs 37-29-11-5 Reichel, Renberg must prove
themselves.
8 - Pittsburgh Penguins 42-28-9-3 Can Lemieux win scoring title?
9 - Washington Capitals 41-27-10-4 Jagr lifts team to new level.
10 - Ottawa Senators 48-19-12-3 No Yashin but team still solid.
11 - San Jose Sharks 40-27-12-3 Sharks well stocked with talent.
12 - Los Angeles Kings 38-28-13-3 Time for Stumpel and Palffy to step
up.
13 - Buffalo Sabres 46-30-5-1 Pressure is on Biron.
14 - Vancouver Canucks 36-28-11-7 Still no quality netminder.
15 - Edmonton Oilers 39-28-12-3 Weight a big loss. Young guns must
produce.
16 - Montreal Canadiens 28-40-8-6 Is this the year the Habs stay
healthy?
17 - Boston Bruins 36-30-8-8 Will fall if Guerin and Allison don't re-
sign.
18 - New York Islanders 21-51-7-3 Making strides to becoming a
contender.
19 - Carolina Hurricanes 38-32-9-3 Signing Barrasso a desperate move.
20 - Phoenix Coyotes 35-27-17-3 Lost Roenick, Tkachuk and Juneau.
Ouch.
21 - Florida Panthers 22-38-13-9 Bure brothers could ignite offense.
22 - New York Rangers 33-43-5-1 Need to sign Lindros or Hull to save
season.
23 - Chicago Blackhawks 29-40-8-5 Korolev not the answer to team's
woes.
24 - Nashville Predators 34-36-9-3 Same old, same old in Tennessee.
25 - Calgary Flames 27-36-15-4 Jury is still out on Turek.
26 - Tampa Bay Lightning 24-47-6-5 Khabibulin gives team a boost.
27 - Columbus Blue Jackets 28-39-9-6 A full year with Whitney and
Sillinger will help.
28 - Anaheim Mighty Ducks 25-41-11-5 No Selanne = no success.
29 - Minnesota Wild 25-39-13-5 Hendrickson is top weapon. Enough
said.
30 - Atlanta Thrashers 23-45-12-2 Lost Audette and Brunette. Ferraro
older.

<< Aucoin and Parrish have turned down qualifying offers, which means they
want more than ten percent.  >>

I don't know about Aucoin....but Parrish is actually in discussions for a 2
year deal.

In regard to this post Mr. Bill...you have to remember that we're now
stocking our Bridgeport Club.  Lord knows it's nice to able to say that, huh?
  Anyway, I think a lot of the people we've been reading about are going to be
part of our SoundTigers.  Let's break your list down just as an example:

<< Rick DiPietro G
  Garth Snow G
  Dusan Salficky  G
  Andy Chiodo  G
  Guy St Germain
  Steven Valiquette  >>

I'm not going to touch goaltending other than to say that it should be an
interesting battle during training camp & preseason!  LOL  However, I will
say that St. Germain should be in Trenton (as far as I've heard) & I think
it's safe to believe that Valley will most likely be in Bridgeport.

<< 2 Branislav Mezei D
  4 Roman Hamrlik D
  7 Kevin Haller D
  29 Kenny Jonsson D
  33 Eric Cairns D
  Adrian Aucoin D
  Ken Sutton D
  Chris Armstrong D
  Dick Tarnstrom-26 years old
  Ray Giroux
  Radek Martinek-29 years old
  Marco Kiprusoff-26 years old
  Igor Korolev
  Ray Schultz
  Jan Holub  D  >>

I think anyone on this list can probably "safely" break down the D as to who
will remain an Islander & who will be playing over in CT.  Yes, there are a
few toss-ups, but it's pretty clear as to how is qualified to do what job.
So I won't even bother....


<< 8 Jason Krog C
  10 Mats Lindgren C
  14 Jason Blake C
  38 Dave Scatchard C
  Alexei Yashin C
  Mike Peca C
  Shawn Bates  C
  Cory Stillman C
  Justin Mapletoft >>

This right here should get pretty interesting as well...I'm curious to see
who lands the 4th line position!  Then again, I'm also curious to see who
gets the 3rd line spot....We all know for sure who our top two centers are,
it's the rest that becomes "interesting"!  (to say the least)

<< 15 Brad Isbister LW
  12 Oleg Kvasha C/LW
  13 Claude Lapointe LW

::::::: SIDE NOTE:  HE'S A CENTER!  But don't get me started on that because
it is one of my biggest peeves!! :::::::::

  Marko Tuomainen  LW 28 years old
  Trent Hunter-21 years old
  Raffi Torres
  Marco Charpantier-20 years old >>

I'll go all out with this one & say that the following will make the team
(some are so obvious it slaps you in the face! LOL) :  Brad, Oleg, Lappy,
Raffi    As for the other guys, I don't know.  I think we'll have to see what
they can do in camp.

<< 20 Steve Webb RW
  21 Mariusz Czerkawski RW
  25 Juraj Kolnik RW 20 years old
  27 Mark Parrish RW
  Alexander Kharitonov  RW 25 years old
  Mike Bray  RW
  Bryan Perez  RW
  Peter Mika
  Mattias Weinhandl-21 years old  >>

And I'm going to do the same thin with the right wings:  Chow, Parrish,
Kolnik & I think Kharitonov & Webb are strong possibilities.  (Do I need to
explain why I think Webb is possible?  Because I really don't feel like it!
LOL)   And like above, I don't know that muck about most of the others, so
we'll have to wait & see about camp.

So, guess that's the bottom line.  Can't wait for training camp!!!  Heehe
::::Whew! <taking a deep breath>  That's the most I've said in a while, huh
Bill?::::  LOL

<< Here is a brain teaser if you are interested. It's 11 simple but trick
questions and it supposedly tells you your intelligence. Me and my brother
took it and both got 5 right which they say is average intelligence. If you
take it let me know how many you got. Don't lie and don't cheat.  >>

Kev,

That was interesting!  As soon as I read the first question, I'm like
"Uh-huh...this is a trick question!"  Then I realized they all were!!  LOL
Anyway, I got 10 right out of 11 & my rating was:  "Wow, come work for us!"

They got me on Moses...and I'm catholic!  LOL  I have to show this to my
father because I think he'd get a kick out of it.  Thanks for sharing!

The Islanders have signed Jason Krog to a 1 year deal

   Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: THOMAS P MORGAN [mailto:FREEBIRD19@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 08:18 PM
To: INTERNET:Islanders-Soundtigers@yahoogroups.com
Cc: THOMAS P MORGAN
Subject: [Islanders-Soundtigers] Re: Be very afraid

Tell us what you think!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/vO1FAB/txzCAA/ySSFAA/4eUolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->



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Did you know that the Islanders were planning on signing Krog, Bill?
   Kevin




-----Original Message-----
From: billbarr@... [mailto:billbarr@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 02:10 PM
To: Islanders-Soundtigers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Islanders-Soundtigers] Is Jason Krog going to get a chance at
all ?


When you start looking at the numbers game going into Islanders camp,
it almost becomes inevitable that Jason Krog is going to be the
Islanders odd-man out.

Many folks always just say he needs more time in the minors as if he
were twenty-two or something.

Jason Krog is twenty-six years old and it's time.

He is three years older than Kvasha, and he is older than Parrish,
Isbister. What does it take for the team to make a decision to go
with him or put him in a trade ?  How far ahead on the depth chart
can Mats Lindgren be over Krog ?

Yes, I know he is small and that is the curse of death among NHL
general managers, but the Islanders gave him two million and they may
have expected some things, but the guy was not going to get taller.

And except for his slow start in Lowell two years ago, he has put up
the points everywhere. He even put up points in Lowell early last
year.

It's time.

Bill





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(August 2) Islanders defenseman Adrian Aucoin has agreed to terms on
a one-year deal. Aucoin, a right-handed cannon from the point, was
acquired along with right wing Alexander Kharitonov from the Tampa
Bay Lightning on June 22 in exchange for prospect defenseman Mathieu
Biron and the Islanders’ 2002 second round draft pick. For complete
coverage, go to www.newyorkislanders.com.

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., "Hasbrouck, Kevin S, NLNS"
<hasbrouck@e...> wrote:

> Did you know that the Islanders were planning on signing Krog, Bill?
>>

   I thought he was going to be the odd-man out in this mix, even
thought I could not figure out why. It's one thing for him to be
signed, now it's another for him to win an NHL spot. If it's another
year in the minors, what is really the point ?

   Bill

Five players left to be signed.


> Kenny Jonsson
> Alexander Kharitonov
> Mark Parrish
> Alexei Yashin
> Michael Peca

--- In Islanders-Soundtigers@y..., mstryzone@a... wrote:

> In regard to this post Mr. Bill...you have to remember that we're
now  stocking our Bridgeport Club.  Lord knows it's nice to able to
say that, huh? >>

   That was really the reason I did it. I wanted to see all the names
in the organization on one page and take a look at where everyone
fits. I actually had to click on several places to put the thing
together too, the Isles site did not make it easy and just left out
some players in the organization, but did have Chris Armstrong who
was signed yesterday.


> This right here should get pretty interesting as well...I'm curious
to see  who lands the 4th line position!  Then again, I'm also
curious to see who gets the 3rd line spot....We all know for sure who
our top two centers are, it's the rest that becomes "interesting"!
(to say the least)>>

   That is what I was attempting to do, see who fits best on the third
and fourth lines. It is very interesting because all of the name have
played in the NHL at one point. I think Scatchard gets the third line
center spot, even if I would love to see him learn the left wing
position. Lapointe is likely going to be the left wing on the third
line. We really do not know Laviolette's thinking so it's hard to say
and you can bet Milbury has plenty of suggestions.


> So, guess that's the bottom line.  Can't wait for training camp!!!
Heehe ::::Whew! <taking a deep breath>  That's the most I've said in
a while, huh  Bill?::::  LOL>>>

   It was good to read, I enjoyed it.

   Bill