UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE (02/02/97)

UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

Hawerchuk halted by hurting hip

The scoring totals for Dale Hawerchuk were plain and simple: seven games, no points, minus-7. No one had to tell the Philadelphia Flyer veteran center there was cause for alarm. Hawerchuk, bothered by a hip injury he aggravated in the pre-season, ended the suffering by taking himself out of the line-up.

"I can't play right now," he admitted on October 21, 1996, the day he underwent an MRI test. "I could probably play like I did the last five games, but ..."

"I've got no push-off on my left leg," he added. "I've been skating on one leg."

Although the MRI showed no new significant damage, Hawerchuk was placed on medication and had to go through therapy. "Ducky" had been bothered by problems in his left hip since his days with the Buffalo Sabres three seasons ago.

This year he felt something give after a collision with New Jersey Devils' center Bobby Carpenter in a pre-season game last September 24.

The status of Hawerchuk, 33, was of particular concern to the Flyers due to the uncertainty surrounding Eric Lindros, who missed the first nine regular season matches with a right groin injury. It was a tough haul to be without the team's top two centermen. GM Bobby Clark considered going after some short-term help.

"I don't know what his status is," coach Terry Murray said of the wounded Ukrainian star. "He has got to get himself healthy, but he also has to start playing a lot better."

Murray opened the season with Hawerchuk in Lindros' regular spot, centering a first line of John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. But he scrapped that plan after the first couple of games and moved Rod Brind'Amour into the top line.

Hawerchuk moved to the second unit with Shjon Podein and Pat Falloon before pulling himself out of the line-up. His spot was taken by journeyman Craig Darby.

Hawerchuk's now hip-hip okay

Almost lost in all the hoopla surrounding the return of Philadelphia Flyers' super-star Lindros was the comeback of another key player - Hawerchuk.

After sitting out six games to rest and rehabilitate an ailing left hip, Hawerchuk finally returned on November 2 and proceeded to record 12 points in his next 10 games. By no small coincidence, the Flyers went 6-3-1 in those contests.

Hawerchuk credits sports chiropractor John D'Amico with getting his hip problem straightened out. The 33-year-old pivotman looked like his old self in a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last November 21. He scored his first hat trick since February 14, 1992, and pushed his career goal total to 510, moving him into 21st place on the all-time list.

Left-winger LeClair, who was playing alongside Hawerchuk, said he can see the difference in the future Hall of Famer.

"Now that he's healthy again," LeClair said, "you're getting to see the talented player Dale is."

Hawerchuk's first goal against the Penguins wasn't one for the highlight reel, but showed why he has been able to score so often over the course of his career. He battled to win a face-off, then got into position to have a shot deflect off his shin pad and into the net. Being in the right place at the right time is an art for accomplished goal-scorers.

"Sometimes you need a little luck," Hawerchuk said. "I've had a lot of chances the last six games or so. Then one goes off your rear end or your shin pad to get it going."

Coach Murray was obviously pleased to see Hawerchuk back on track.

"When he won that face-off and tipped that puck in (for a 2-0 lead)," Murray said, "that's what we needed to give us a little confidence to execute our game plan."

Andreychuk hits 1,000

Home is where NHL senior vice-president Brian Burke hands you the prestigious milestone award. It has little to do with the heart. On the final day of the New Jersey Devils' 1995-1996 regular season schedule, Dave Andreychuk was ready to accept milestone awards for 1,000 NHL games and 1,000 points.

Andreychuk hoped it meant more than just playing out the final act in an admirable hockey career.

The Devils, who battled to the final day for an Eastern Conference playoff berth, made a commitment to Andreychuk when they acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs last March 13 for a pair of draft picks.

And down the stretch, the 32-year-old left winger was the team's most productive offensive player under immense pressure.

"Dave's very calm when the pressure is building," said center Bobby Holik." He sticks to his game. I think that's his mentality. It helps his game that he stays calm. He was a huge plus for us because he has scored some clutch goals in his career in pressure situations. If you get the puck to him around the net, there is almost no way to stop him. Unless you jump on his stick."

"Anybody who has scored 1,000 points in 1,000 games has had to play in big games," said GM Lou Lamoriello. "I've watched him since he was in Buffalo, and he is one of those pure goal-scorers that has always found his way to the net."

Andreychuk became the 46th player in NHL history to score 1,000 points with a goal in an April 7 victory over the New York Rangers. He played his 1,000th game last April 11 in Washington.

"I feel more comfortable here, obviously," Andreychuk said. "I'm finding out where to go on the ice. My confidence is much higher."

Most of this gifted Ukrainian's 1,000 games (763) and 1,000 points (771) were accumulated during his 10 and a half seasons in Buffalo. And, clearly the Hamilton, Ontario, native's heart remains in the Toronto area.

But the Devils, who began paying him $7.2 million over the next three years with the start of this current 1996-1997 season, are counting on more than a short-term return.

The first order of business for coach Jacques Lemaire was to assure Andreychuk his career as a goal-scorer didn't end when he joined the defense-minded New Jersey Devils. It might have been a tougher sell had Andreychuk not played a somewhat similar style under Pat Burns the past few seasons.

"I don't want him to worry about scoring goals," Lemaire said. "He's going to have his chances."

The Devils' conservative approach didn't concern Andreychuk as much as his own drop in production. He came to the Devils with 20 goals and 44 points in 61 games. Andreychuk had back-to-back 50-goal seasons in 1992-1993 and 1993-1994.

"I look at this as another opportunity to prove to myself I can still score goals," Andreychuk said, "despite the year I'm having."

The Devils were certain he could.

"From the hash marks in, there's nobody better in the league," said Devils' captain Scott Stevens. "For deflections and goals around the net, his size and strength, his reach, his soft hands - he's a pure scorer. You can't move him."

Andreychuk had mixed feelings about leaving Toronto.

"It was tough. Any deal is going to be tough," he said. "I'm from the area, so it was a little tougher. I'm coming to a pretty good solid team. They won a Stanley Cup last year [speaking in April '96] and we're contenders this year. A lot of players (here) know what it takes."

Khristich seeks stability after drastic change

He may have been around only for a season, but in Los Angeles Kings' time, that makes forward Dimitri Khristich an old-timer.

At least 16 players on this season's opening night roster arrived in Los Angeles after Khristich, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals in July 1995.

With one solid year of tumult and upheaval, is Khristich surprised he is still in Los Angeles?

"No," he said, smiling. "I think I played well for the team last year. I feel like I'm needed here."

The Kyiv-born Ukrainian, who was named the team's most valuable player by the local media, had his best performance since the 1992 season, scoring 27 goals and 64 points. He started the season playing on a line with Wayne Gretzky and rookie right winger Vitali Yachmenev, and finished it by centering Yachmenev and left winger Vladimir Tsyplakov.

One of Khristich's goals this current campaign is to play on the same line all year, but that definitely won't be happening since Tsyplakov started the 1996-1997 season on the injured list with an abdominal strain. Khristich himself was limping around with an injured foot, although he was fit enough to begin centering a line with Petr Klima and Yachmenev.

Kings' coach Larry Robinson is hoping to get more of a two-way game out of his 28-year-old versatile forward. That's fine with Khristich, but he doesn't want to sacrifice any offense.

"I know I am able to do that," Khristich said. "I would like to improve on my (career) high of 36 goals."

(Quotations courtesy of Wayne Fish, Rich Chere and Lisa Dillman, beat reporters for the Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings, respectively.)

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