UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE
by Ihor Stelmach
Catching up with facts and figures
As the 1996-1997 regular season of the National Hockey League rapidly approaches its mid-way point and traditional All-Star break, it's time to get caught up on all the little details of the past three months.
As we round the corner into the 1997 half of the 1996-1997 season, a trio of teams are tied for most points over all. The defending champion Colorado Avalanche have proven that winning the Stanley Cup last year was certainly no fluke. Their Cup finals' opponents, the Florida Panthers, have come out and proven the exact same point. A rejuvenated Philadelphia Flyers squad with captain Eric Lindros back from injuries and newly acquired defenseman Paul Coffey joins Colorado and Florida as the league's best so far.
Individually speaking, Penguin teammates Jaromir Jagr and Super Mario Lemieux are once again running neck-and-neck for the league's scoring title. The ageless Wayne Gretzky has exceeded any and all expectations in the Big Apple, sitting third in scoring while leading the league in assists. After slow starts and injuries, both Keith Tkachuk and Peter Bondra are again among the league's top 20 scorers, with Tkachuk having already notched 23 goals before this went to press. A total of 22 NHL pro pucksters with some Ukrainian blood in them have seen action thus far this '96-97 campaign.
UKRAINIAN ROSTER MOVES AND INJURIES
(September through December 1996)
Buffalo: Alexei Zhitnik, D, suspended the two games by the NHL for highsticking incident. Eligible to return on November 7. Sergei Klimentiev, D, assigned to Rochester (AHL). Jim Sandlak, RW, released.
Chicago: Jeff Salajko, GT, assigned to Indianapolis (IHL). Chris Twerdun, D, returned to Moose Jaw (WHL). Dave Chyzowski, LW, and Ryan Huska, LW, assigned to Indianapolis (IHL). Chyzowski later recalled.
Colorado: Curtis Leschyshyn, D, traded to Washington. Randy Petruk, GT, returned to Kamloops (WHL). Wade Belak, D, assigned to Hershey (AHL).
Dallas: Pat Elynuik, RW, assigned to Michigan (IHL). Brad Lukowich, D, and Brent Fedyk, RW, assigned to Michigan.
Detroit: Dan Pawlaczyk, C, released.
Edmonton: Dave Semenko named assistant coach.
Florida: Joey Tetarenko, D, returned to Portland (WHL). Dan Ratushny, D, and David Nemirovsky, RW, assigned to Carolina (AHL).
Hartford: Alexander Godynyuk, D, back spasms, day-to-day. Godynyuk strained groin, day-to-day. Andrei Nikolishin, LW, traded to Washington for Curtis Leschyshyn, D. Trevor Wasyluk, C/LW, returned to Medicine Hat (WHL). Steve Halko, D, assigned to Springfield (AHL). Halko recalled and returned to Springfield.
Los Angeles: Ed Olczyk, LW, flu, day-to-day.
New Jersey: Peter Sidorkiewicz, GT, assigned to Albany (AHL). Ken Daneyko, D, sore hip, day-to-day.
N.Y. Rangers: Lee Sorochan, D, assigned to Binghamton (AHL).
Ottawa: Mike Maneluk, LW, assigned to Worcester (AHL).
Philadelphia: Dale Hawerchuk, C, strained left hip, indefinite. Jamie Sokolsky, D, returned to Owen Sound (OHL). Frank Bialowas, D, assigned to Philadelphia (AHL).
Phoenix: Steve Cheredaryk, D, assigned to Springfield (AHL).
Pittsburgh: Boris Protsenko, C, returned to Calgary (WHL).
St. Louis: Nick Naumenko, D, assigned to Worcester (AHL). Jon Zukiwsky, LW, Alex Vasilevski, LW, and Mike Buzak, GT, assigned to Worcester (AHL). Vasilevski recalled and returned to Worcester.
San Jose: Taras Lendzyk, GT, assigned to Kentucky (AHL).
Tampa Bay: Brian Bellows, RW, back spasms, day-to-day. Bellows traded to Anaheim for sixth round pick in 1997 draft.
Toronto: Brendan Yarema, C, returned to Sarnia (OHL). Mark Kolesar, RW, assigned to St. John's (AHL). Kolesar recalled and returned to St. John's.
Vancouver: Bogdan Savenko, RW, and Yevgeny Namestnikov, D, assigned to Syracuse (AHL). Dave Babych, D, hyperextended elbow, day-to-day. Babych, pulled groin, day-to-day.
Washington: Steve Konowalchuk, LW, separated rib cartilage. Peter Bondra, RW, strained groin, December 17.
UKRAINIAN UTTERINGS: Islander great Mike Bossy dropped the ceremonial first puck on opening night on the Island ... Flyers' Dale Hawerchuk reported progress with his strained left hip after working with sports chiropractor John D'Amico. Hawerchuk, who had no points in seven games, re-injured his hip in the pre-season. The hip problems date back three years to his days in Buffalo...
Defenseman Kenny Daneyko called Rangers' coach Colin Campbell a "little weasel" after Campbell taunted him for trying to fight New York defenseman Jeff Beukeboom in an October 30 game. Campbell kept yelling about former Ranger right-winger Joey Kocur, who injured Daneyko's knee in a past fight. That prompted Daneyko to challenge Campbell to "step outside ..." When Hawerchuk returned from a six-game absence to rest that ailing hip, he registered five points (1-4-5) in three games ... Daneyko had four root canals and two teeth pulled after taking a stick in the mouth in a game against Vancouver on November 14 ...
Wayne Gretzky scored a lot of points with his new teammates when he refused to take up an offer from left-winger Adam Graves, who was willing to give up the alternate captaincy so Gretzky could wear the "A." "He doesn't need an 'A' to be shown respect by anybody," said coach Campbell ... More Gretzky: The Great One held pointless in a 1-1 tie with the Islanders in early November, ending a 15-game point streak ...
Anaheim GM Jack Ferreira shook up the Anaheim Ducks' roster by making two quick trades involving five players in a 48-hour span. Left-winger Brian Bellows was picked up from Tampa Bay on November 18 ... Anaheim coach Ron Wilson and Bellows, 32, were teammates with the Minnesota North Stars during the mid-1980s. "Brian was outspoken in the room, even when he was a lot younger," Wilson said. "He has gone head to head with a number of coaches, but I don't think anything will be a problem with us ..."
Andrei Nikolishin left Hartford in such a hurry he had to use an off-day to return to pick up his clothing ... Speaking of "Niko," Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur broke his own team record for consecutive shutout minutes before allowing a goal by Nikolishin ...
Right-winger Dave Andreychuk, the only Devils' player whose contract was negotiated with another club (Toronto), said he does not have individual incentives in his contract because the deal was hurried just before the lockout in 1994 ... Brian Leetch moved past Ukrainian Walt Tkaczuk into fourth place on the N.Y. Rangers' all-time assist list with 452 ... Jeremy Roenick and Ukie Keith Tkachuk were chosen for Hard Copy's "Hunks of Hockey" segment ...
More Daneyko: the blueliner was close to agreeing on a three-year contract worth $4 million. He could become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Daneyko has spent his entire 13-year NHL career with the Devils ... Happy New Year from the "Puckster!"
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| W. Gretzky | N.Y. Rangers | 35 | 14 | 34 | 48 | 6 |
| P. Bondra | Washington | 29 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 22 |
| K. Tkachuk | Phoenix | 32 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 75 |
| D. Khristich | Los Angeles | 33 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 18 |
| D. Hawerchuk | Philadelphia | 28 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 18 |
| D. Andreychuk | New Jersey | 31 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 14 |
| O. Tverdovsky | Phoenix | 32 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 1 |
| E. Olczyk | Los Angeles | 29 | 8 | 10 | 18 | |
| A. Nikolishin | Hart.-Wash. | 30 | 6 | 10 | 16 | |
| S. Konowalchuk | Washington | 28 | 5 | 10 | 15 | |
| A. Zhitnik | Buffalo | 30 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 24 |
| B. Bellows | T. Bay-Anaheim | 19 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| C. Leschyshyn | Colo.-Wash.-Hart. | 31 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 16 |
| R. Matvichuk | Dallas | 27 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 55 |
| D. Babych | Vancouver | 27 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 12 |
| A. Godynyuk | Hartford | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| T. Hlushko | Calgary | 26 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
| K. Daneyko | New Jersey | 28 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 32 |
| M. Kolesar | Toronto | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A. Vasilevski | St. Louis | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| D. Chyzowski | Chicago | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | GP | MINS | G.A. | W | L | T | PCT. |
| D. Wakaluk | Phoenix | 12 | 606 | 2.57 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 91.2 |
| K. Hrudey | San Jose | 21 | 1142 | 3.36 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 89.1 |
| W. Gretzky, New York Rangers | $5,047,500 |
| K. Tkachuk, Phoenix Coyotes | $2,600,000 |
| D. Hawerchuk, Philadelphia Flyers | $2,600,000 |
| D. Andreychuk, New Jersey Devils | $2,100,000 |
| K. Daneyko, New Jersey Devils | $1,295,176 |
| P. Bondra, Washington Capitals | $1,178,247 |
| K. Hrudey, San Jose Sharks | $1,100,000 |
| E. Olczyk, Los Angeles Kings | $1,050,000 |
| A. Zhitnik, Buffalo Sabres | $1,000,000 |
| D. Khristich, Los Angeles Kings | $1,000,000 |
| D. Bellows, Tampa Bay-Anaheim | $1,000,000 |
| C. Leschyshyn, Colorado-Washington-Hartford | $1,000,000 |
| S. Konowalchuk, Washington Capitals | $850,000 |
| R. Matvichuk, Dallas Stars | $721,299 |
| D. Babych, Vancouver Canucks | $650,000 |
| O. Tverdovsky, Phoenix Coyotes | $600,000 |
| D. Wakaluk, Phoenix Coyotes | $600,000 |
| A. Godynyuk, Hartford Whalers | $425,000 |
| A. Nikolishin, Hartford-Washington | $400,000 |
| T. Hlushko, Calgary Flames | $325,000 |
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 19, 1997, No. 3, Vol. LXV
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