The National Strat-O-Matic Hockey League Newsletter League Established May 1, 1997 Volume #9, Issue #26 - April 2, 2006 ************************************************************************** Current League Officers: Commissioner: Doug Norris Vice-Commissioner: Eric Goodman Email the whole league: mailto:nshl@yahoogroups.com NSHL Chat List: mailto:nshlchat@yahoogroups.com Web Page Administrator: Brian Leahy League Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/nshlweb Files Adminstrator: Brian Leahy / Tom Vinacci League Files Site: http://www.highrantdistrict.com/SOM/NSHL ************************************************************************** OPENING FACEOFF: Just some bookkeeping before we get started. First, I want to make sure that everyone with league positions (Eric, Patrick, Tom and Mark) are interested in keeping those positions for 2006-07. Additionally, I need to know if anyone else has interest in these positions (including my own): (*) Commissioner (*) Vice-Commissioner (*) Constitutional Committee chairman (*) Constitutional Committee member (x2) (*) Review Board member (x3) Currently, there is one vacant position on the constitutional committee. So that no one reads anything into the above paragraphs, I'm interested in staying on in my current role(s), and I'm excited about bringing the NSHL into its tenth campaign. However, I'm willing to step down if it turns out that way. In all cases, please let me know by April 15 (tax day!) Corner Creek, New York and Pittsburgh suffered overusage during the 2004-05 campaign. Since taking a year off, I'd rather not disrupt the league's restart any further than necessary, so I'm placing those owners on alert for the 2006-07 season regarding overusage. Robert, Steve, and John - please be extra careful with your players this year. Remember to send your constitutional amendments to Patrick and myself - I'd like to set the deadline for this as June 11. That will give us two months before the cutdown date to agree on any necessary league changes. Enjoy the newsletter this month! Several veterans step down in this issue, most notably Ron Francis - expect more retirement announcements as the summer progresses. As owners, you have plenty of time to cut your rosters down. There is no limit to the number of players you may have on your roster (current teams range from 15 to 42 players), but any player on your roster after August 11 may not be cut until after the draft. Enjoy the well-crafted newsletter article by Brian Leahy! ************************************************************************** NSHL VETERANS STEP DOWN: With the NSHL taking a year off due to labour strife, many of the league's best have decided to call it a career. First and foremost among them is Capital City forward Ron Francis, who leaves the NSHL sixteenth overall in scoring with 190 goals and 588 points in 653 career games with Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Capital City (twice), Baltimore, Rush-Henrietta and Topeka. Also leaving the game is Minneapolis forward Kelly Buchberger. "Bucky", as he was known by his teammates, retires with 764 career penalty minutes (17th all-time) for Woody Creek, Brooklyn, Vancouver, Capital City, Toms River, Minneapolis and Hampton Roads. His crowning moment came as a member of the 1998 Farley Cup champion Brooklyn Gulag. Shayne Corson of the Seattle Rainiers retires tenth all-time in penalty minutes with 839, and took home a piece of the 1999 Farley Cup with Montreal. ************************************************************************** TEAMS PREPARE FOR 2006 DRAFT: The Minneapolis Massasauga, looking to retool after a ten-win campaign in 2004-05, released twenty veterans to free agency this week. Key names include Mike Keane, Bob Boughner and Byron Dafoe. With sixteen selections in the September draft, including the fourth-overall, look for Minneapolis to make steps towards the rest of the Central Division. Minneapolis also dealt blueliner Rob Davison to the Capital City Cougars, in the first of many deals for Capital City. Most notably, the Cougars sent four players - Wade Redden, Jamie Lundmark, Milan Bartovic and Jason Strudwick - to the Stone Harbor Sound in exchange for two picks in the top twenty-eight this summer. Redden now pairs with Bryan McCabe to create a formidable top pairing for the Sound, who look to make a playoff push in 2007. Capital City then traded Calle Johansson to Brooklyn in an exchange of ninth round selections. Johansson, who played 453 of his 521 career NSHL games with the Gulag/Fourteenth, and won a cup with the 1998 Gulag, is expected to announce his retirement shortly. The Cougars also released veteran netminder Felix Potvin. It may be the end of the line for the affable Potvin, who has recorder 131 victories in his nine-year career. Capital City's transactions segue nicely into... ************************************************************************** RESHAPING THE COUGARS by Brian Leahy, Capital City owner After such a long layoff due to the NSHL lockout, Cougars GM Brian Leahy has a tall order in reshaping the club so as to improve upon the gradual success the team has built upon the few seasons prior. Starting in goal, Manny Legace seems to be secure as the number one netminder going into next season, based on off-season workout reports. The trouble is what's behind him. Ed Belfour has seemingly been supplanted and has made no efforts to hide his displeasure with management's open position regarding Legace this early before training camp. He wants to be guaranteed playing time, but management isn't willing to make that commitment to Belfour at this time. With that, Belfour's agent has received approval to seek a trade with another team. Rumor has it that a few teams have expressed interest so far in his services, but no word on whether a deal is imminent. Another veteran goalie who's been on the roster for a few years, Felix Potvin, was released yesterday. The team had no takers when shopping his services and would like to use his salary towards signing draft picks this September. Andy Chiodo is the other goaltender currently on the roster and is still considered a prospect, garnering playing time with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Cougars minor league affiliate. At this time, management thinks Chiodo needs another season in the minors under his belt before he'd be ready for the NSHL full time. The Cougars would like to pickup a veteran backup to Legace, but would not rule out trying to pick up a free agent through the draft, if need be. On defense, the youngsters seem to be coming along, though the aging veterans are not yet ready to relinquish their spots. One such veteran, Mathieu Schneider, looks to put up yet another offensive-minded season from the blueline, while younger guys like Joe Corvo and Paul Martin should build upon the solid play both displayed in the 2004-05 NSHL season. Wade Redden and Jason Strudwick were recently traded away as part of a deal with the Stone Harbor Sound for the 9th overall draft pick, as well as the Sound's 2nd round draft pick in the upcoming draft. "We were hesitant to deal Wade," said GM Brian Leahy, "but after initially balking, we decided this deal would help us address the overall age of our roster and giving us a chance to better position ourselves to draft a quality player at the same time. We will miss his presence on the blueline, but I think we'll be OK." In another move, Calle Johansson was dealt to the Brooklyn Fourteenth and the team swapped spots in the 9th round to accompany the move. Word was that Johansson had been pondering retirement and wanted to do so with the Brooklyn club. On offense, it is still very much a work in progress. Players such as Marian Gaborik, Alexei Yashin, Slava Kozlov and Jason Blake will be looked upon to provide the bulk of the scoring. Many around the organization are hoping that Joffrey Lupul, the team's 1st round, 15th overall pick in the 2004 NSHL draft, will have his breakout year. He scored just 8 goals in 63 games as a rookie for the Cougars, but often saw time on the team's 4th line. "We have trade discussions ongoing with several teams at the moment," said Leahy, when asked what the team is looking to do regarding the offense. "We'll see where these discussions will take us, but this is only the beginning. We have plenty of time before the draft and, by then, we will address in the draft what we couldn't via trade." All in all, a lot of work for Cougars management this summer, but when the team hits the ice this fall they will certainly have a rabid fan base eager to cheer on the squad. FRANCIS RETIRES Earlier this week, longtime veteran Ron Francis announced his retirement. Francis, originally a 1996 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick of the Pittsburgh Sound Chasers of the old ISHL, was acquired by the Cougars later that same season. In his 25 games with the team that year, he amassed 12 goals and 28 assists en route to helping the team win it all that year. In the NSHL several years later, the Cougars re-acquired Francis from division rival Topeka on June 19, 2003. Since then, he put up 21 goals and 71 assists in 162 games over the past two seasons. "While he never had the 'C' or the 'A' on his sweater for us, he always displayed leadership and class and was a fine example for the younger guys in the locker room," said Matthew Barnaby, a teammate of Francis' in both stints with the club. The team plans to honor Francis in a pre-game ceremony in the upcoming season. More details to be released once the NSHL schedule has been finalized. NEWS & NOTES Talks are underway regarding the building of a new arena for the Cougars just south of downtown Lincoln. The Cougar Coliseum, where the team currently plays its NSHL games, was originally built in 1985 as a multi-purpose arena and has had improvements over the years since the Cougars became regular tenants of the building upon joining the NSHL in 1999. Plans are to have the new arena increase its seating capacity by a few hundred to 20,500, though it's also expected to increase sight lines and eliminate seats with partial obstructions. Also connected to the arena will be a convention center. Construction is set to begin later this summer with a completion date in time for the start of the 2007-08 NSHL season. ************************************************************************** 2004-05 REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE STANDINGS: NORTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Long Island Berserkers 82 49 25 6 2 106 0.646 281 220 25-11- 4- 1 24-14- 2- 1 Corner Creek Green Cal 82 42 32 6 2 92 0.561 234 256 27- 9- 3- 2 15-23- 3- 0 Lyndonville Blades 82 41 31 10 0 92 0.561 230 179 16-18- 7- 0 25-13- 3- 0 Brooklyn Fourteenth 82 36 36 9 1 82 0.500 186 217 24-13- 3- 1 12-23- 6- 0 Buffalo Bulldogs 82 28 47 5 2 63 0.384 210 271 13-25- 3- 0 15-22- 2- 2 New York Lancers 82 17 52 9 4 47 0.287 174 272 10-25- 4- 2 7-27- 5- 2 ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road St. Michael's Privatee 82 46 18 14 4 110 0.671 272 202 26- 7- 7- 1 20-11- 7- 3 Quebec City Patriotes 82 48 21 9 4 109 0.665 324 217 27-11- 2- 1 21-10- 7- 3 Montreal Wanderers 82 41 25 10 6 98 0.598 231 198 22-12- 5- 2 19-13- 5- 4 Manayunk Bullies 82 30 37 12 3 75 0.457 222 239 18-18- 3- 2 12-19- 9- 1 Florida Hellcats 82 26 40 13 3 68 0.415 203 242 14-17- 8- 2 12-23- 5- 1 Stone Harbor Sound 82 18 52 11 1 48 0.293 159 276 10-23- 7- 1 8-29- 4- 0 NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Fort Garry Fiddler Cra 82 48 22 11 1 108 0.659 254 180 27- 9- 5- 0 21-13- 6- 1 Seattle Rainiers 82 47 22 12 1 107 0.652 271 216 27-10- 4- 0 20-12- 8- 1 North Calgary Hawks 82 44 22 11 5 104 0.634 249 199 21-10- 6- 4 23-12- 5- 1 San Francisco Hedgehog 82 35 32 13 2 85 0.518 235 238 17-17- 5- 2 18-15- 8- 0 Seattle Sasquatch 82 35 37 7 3 80 0.488 230 236 19-17- 2- 3 16-20- 5- 0 Vancouver Whitecaps 82 19 56 5 2 45 0.274 194 321 8-29- 2- 2 11-27- 3- 0 CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L T OL Pts Pct GF GA Home Road Houston Outlaws 82 58 17 6 1 123 0.750 350 181 31- 7- 3- 0 27-10- 3- 1 Topeka Tarantulas 82 49 19 12 2 112 0.683 288 204 24- 8- 8- 1 25-11- 4- 1 Capital City Cougars 82 41 29 10 2 94 0.573 258 225 23-10- 6- 2 18-19- 4- 0 Pittsburgh Sound Chase 82 42 34 3 3 90 0.549 264 253 20-19- 1- 1 22-15- 2- 2 Hampton Roads Hounds 82 24 44 9 5 62 0.378 234 310 10-24- 6- 1 14-20- 3- 4 Minneapolis Massasauga 82 10 64 7 1 28 0.171 92 293 2-32- 6- 1 8-32- 1- 0 ************************************************************************** INCENTIVE POINTS: CCC: -2 IP, excellent newsletter article (which really should be two articles) Incentive points are not discretionary, and are assigned strictly per formula, without respect to extenuating circumstances. Incentive points may be appealed through the Review Board. CUMULATIVE INCENTIVE POINTS: BRK: -3 IP BUF: 4 IP CCC: -7 IP CGC: 2 IP FLO: -1 IP HOU: exempt LIB: 1 IP MAN: 2 IP NCH: -1 IP NYL: -1 IP PIT: -1 IP SFH: 2 IP SES: -10 IP SHS: 5 IP TPK: -2 IP VAW: -1 IP ************************************************************************** ASSOCIATE LIST: SINCE GP Dan Irvine July 20, 2004 46 Larry Spencer April 27, 2004 0 Ryan Barckert May 17, 2003 0 Steve Kramer December 13, 2004 0 Greg Ralls December 14, 2004 0 Andrew Smith November 19, 2005 0 If you're still an active associate at and aren't on this list at please get in contact with me. Thanks! Doug ************************************************************************** TRANSACTIONS: BRK - TRADE BRK#9 to CCC for Calle Johansson and CCC#9. CCC - Announced RETIREMENT of Ron Francis. - TRADE CCC#8 to MIN for Rob Davison. - TRADE Wade Redden, Jamie Lundmark, Milan Bartovic and Jason Strudwick to SHS for MAN#1 and SHS#2. - TRADE Calle Johansson and CCC#9 to BRK for BRK#9. - RELEASE Felix Potvin. MIN - RELEASE Eric Boulton, Mike Danton, Craig Johnson, Mike Keane, Steve Martins, Eric Meloche, Pascal Rheaume, Chris McAllister, Cody McCormick, Eric Meloche, Bob Boughner, Sven Butenschon, Lance Ward, Brad Ference, Bruno St. Jacques, Byron Dafoe, Jamie Allison, Jozef Balej, Jeremy Stevenson, and Mathias Tarnqvist. - Announced RETIREMENT of Kelly Buchberger. - TRADE Rob Davison to CCC for CCC#8. SEA - Announced RETIREMENT of Shayne Corson. SHS - TRADE MAN#1 and SHS#2 to CCC for Wade Redden, Jamie Lundmark, Milan Bartovic and Jason Strudwick. ************************************************************************** League Governing Boards Responsibilities of the following governing boards are outlined in the Constitution. Review Board Tom Vinacci, Buffalo Bulldogs Patrick Shea, Long Island Berserkers Mark McNeil, Lyndonville Blades Constitutional Council Head: Patrick Shea (patrickjshea@verizon.net) Doug Norris, Commissioner Eric Goodman, Vice-Commissioner Andy Bartalone, St. Michael's owner (vacant) **************************************************************************