UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE (06/27/99)

UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

Stars win cup - six games and three overtimes later

If a small-market, low-budget, seventh-seeded team can get to the Stanley Cup final, it's not too much to ask to make it last more than four games, is it?

The issue going into the final was whether the NHL showcase was destined to be another dud. In each of the last four years the brooms have been out: sweep, sweep, sweep.

But thanks to the improbable Cup finalist Sabres, and a variety of other circumstances, this was the first final to be hotly contested since the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks went to Game 7 in 1994.

The series went to six games - OK, it wasn't seven games, but still.... - with three overtimes in the last meeting. Described by The New York Times as "six close-checking and often passionate games," the series ended, finally, at 1:30 a.m. on June 20 with a controversial score of 2-1.

The Stars won their fourth game in the finals after a disputed goal, fired at 14:51 of the third overtime by Brett Hull, was allowed to stand. The Sabres argued, to no avail, that Hull's goal was illegal as his skate had preceded the puck into goalie Dominik Hasek's crease.

Thus, the Stars won their first Stanley Cup since the franchise was formed in 1967 as the Minnesota North Stars. For the record: the Stars scored 13 goals and the Sabres nine in the Stanley Cup final.

* * *

Certainly, on paper, it looked like the Sabres were at a clear disadvantage.

"Everyone kept asking me whom we wanted to play in the final - Dallas or Colorado," said Buffalo Sabres' coach Lindy Ruff before Game 7 of the Western Conference final. "I told them, 'I don't want to play either one.'"

It is precisely that type of self-deprecation the Sabres played up - all the better to sneak up on the Stars. The Sabres are young and inexperienced, with an average age of 26, compared to Dallas' average age of 30. Though the Sabres are a physical team, NHL scouting reports say the Stars are more physical. Though the Sabres are a skilled team, the Stars seem to be more skilled. The one area where Buffalo has a distinct advantage is team speed. Overall, the Stars had accumulated 355.5 points compared to Buffalo's total of 348.0.

Thumb-nail sketches of the two teams going into the final:

BUFFALO SABRES: Buffalo was outshot by an average of 15 shots per game and swept aside Ottawa (4-0) and then outscored Boston by a total of three goals in sidelining the Bruins (4-2). Ailing Dominik Hasek's Round 1 save percentage: .970. Round 2 save percentage: .913. Three Stars: Michael Peca, Hasek, and Ukrainian Alexei Zhitnik. The Sabres needed to challenge Dallas physically, get on top of the Stars' defense with their speed advantage and get goals from Miroslav Satan and Curtis Brown.

DALLAS STARS: The two-time regular season champions had only one thing left to prove: they can win the Stanley Cup. Beating Edmonton (4-0) and St. Louis (4-2) told us nothing we didn't already know about the Stars; that is, they can make it through two playoff rounds. Three Stars: Ed Belfour, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk. Things these Stars needed to do to win: Goalie Belfour had to maintain his composure; Modano and Nieuwendyk had to lay it all on the line; the Dallas 'D' (including big-time Ukrainian contributor Richard Matvichuk) had to punish the Sabres' speedy resilient forwards. In the end, Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe trophy as the tournament's MVP.

Assistants could leave Canucks

While the Vancouver Canucks are quite secure in their head coaching position, the ranks beneath head guy, Marc Crawford, may be thinned due to the career ambitions of Glen Hanlon and Ukrainian Stan Smyl.

The two long-time assistants have both expressed an interest in becoming head coaches, and both seem prepared to go to the minors to achieve those goals. Their contracts expired on June 1.

Smyl, nicknamed "Stanley Steamer" during his long career with the Canucks, has already received an offer from a professional Japanese club team. He has been with the organization for 21 consecutive years, the first 13 as a player and the last eight as an assistant coach.

If neither Smyl or Hanlon does move, General Manager Brian Burke has said they will be offered contract extensions. Neither assistant would be heartbroken if he wound up staying. Both have invested a ton of time and energy in Vancouver and would love to see it through to the ultimate happy ending: a Stanley cup championship.

Is Olczyk In Hawks' plans?

It's going to be another summer of uncertainty for veteran Eddie Olczyk. For the second straight off-season, Olczyk is an unrestricted free agent. Last year his wish was answered when he signed with his home-town Chicago Blackhawks shortly before training camp. He'd re-sign with the Hawks for another season, but he isn't sure he is in General Manager Bob Murray's plans.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I know what I want to happen," Olczyk said. "We'll just have to let things play out."

It is no secret in NHL circles the Blackhawks want to continue to get younger, but there still might be a place for a versatile wily veteran such as Olczyk, who turns 33 in August. Olczyk was one of the Hawks' best forwards late this past season under new coach Lorne Molleken, who gave him a lot of responsibility.

The season definitely ended better than it had started for Olczyk, who was sent to play for the International Hockey League's Chicago Wolves last November after GM Murray questioned his work ethic.

"Eddie's a leader in our (locker) room and probably one of our more vocal guys," coach Molleken said late in the season. "He has really helped out some of our younger players."

Murray hasn't given any indication about Olczyk's future, although it did sound like he wanted to bring the popular Ukrainian veteran back into the fold for at least one more active campaign.

"Late in the year he did exactly the things we expected him to do when we signed him," Murray said. "You need guys like that who know and understand their roles."

Olczyk, who had 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 61 games for the Blackhawks, figures he has at least one or two more years in him. "I know I can still contribute," he said. "Look at a guy like (Detroit Red Wings' defenseman) Larry Murphy. Everyone thought he was done a few years ago and now look at him. You just have to find the right fit."

(By the way, did you happen to catch Mr. Olczyk's debut as game analyst on ESPN 2's coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs in May? For the first time as a color commentator with a national audience, "Eddie O" did us all very proud! Now we know what Coach Molleken meant when he referred to the veteran as a "vocal" guy. A career in waiting? )

Last-minute deal keeps Tkaczuk in Calgary

It took the parties involved until the last minute of play, 11:59 p.m. (EDT) June 1st, the deadline for signing the draft class of 1997, but the Calgary Flames finally did get Barrie Colts' center Daniel Tkaczuk under contract.

By signing Tkaczuk, picked sixth overall, the Flames retained one of the top prospects in their organization, but not without undergoing a major shift in the franchise's philosophy. Tkaczuk, essentially received the bonus structure sought by his agent, Boston-based Jay Fee.

"To be honest, this is a deal that I'm not crazy about from a business standpoint," said GM Al Coates, "but the overriding factor here is he is a good player. We've invested two years in him already and we made a commitment to our fans in Calgary that when we draft these guys, we're going to get them signed."

Losing Tkaczuk for only a compensatory second-round draft pick would have represented a serious setback. Ultimately, the two sides were not haggling over Tkaczuk's base salary. Some time ago, the Flames had agreed to pay Tkaczuk $925,000 (U.S.) per season for three years, the maximum allowed under the NHL's entry-level salary cap. At issue was a schedule of bonuses that could add millions to Tkaczuk's pay.

Coates called the bonuses in Tkaczuk's contract, "substantial," but added: "We're talking about the sixth player overall in the draft."

(Thanks to Elliott Pap, Tim Sassone, Eric Duhatschek and The Hockey News for quotes in the above segments.)

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