UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE (05/19/02)

UKRAINIAN PRO HOCKEY UPDATE

by Ihor Stelmach

Daneyko not ready to retire

One certainly gets the feeling Kenny Daneyko is not ready or willing to have his No. 3 retired to the Continental Airlines Arena rafters just yet, or anytime soon.

Reduced to a part-time role on a team that struggled mightily during the first couple of months of this past season, the New Jersey Devils defenseman disputed claims his performance has slipped.

"I'm no different than I was last June when I was one of the guys in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In five or six months you don't lose your position as a go-to guy," said the 37-year-old after sitting out three of four games as a healthy scratch. "For my role and what I do, it's going to take a lot longer (for his game to significantly deteriorate). It's too short of a time. I believe I have two more years left in me after this one. In fact, I know it. I'm not injured and I'm not banged up."

Daneyko has one more season remaining on his contract, but there was increased speculation that he might not end his career with the Devils, the team for which he has played his entire NHL career.

"There is nothing to read into this, other than the six defensemen we have played well," said GM Lou Lamoriello. "No question, when push comes to shove, Kenny will be a very valuable person."

It certainly didn't appear that way to Daneyko, especially the first several months of 2001-2002 when he missed 14 games. Of further interest is the fact he sat out only one other game the entire rest of this past regular season. (Daneyko suited up in 67 of 82 games.)

"Do I agree with the way things have been handled? Absolutely not," Daneyko said. "When the team struggles, it puts pressure on the coaches and they start changing things. I just seemed to take a lot of the brunt this year. That's fine. I'm man enough to handle it."

Kenny Daneyko will be lacing up his skates one more time come September training camp. Where? Why, New Jersey. Where else?

Berehowsky's year full of ups and downs

Patience, they say, is a virtue. Pardon Drake Berehowsky, though, if he's virtually run out of patience.

First he became a routine healthy scratch while in Vancouver, this despite signing a new, three-year deal before the start of this past regular season. Naturally, he welcomed his December 28, 2001 trade to Phoenix with open arms. Then he proceeded to sit on his hands some more, scratched again with his new team in 10 of his first 23 games with the Coyotes.

"It's tough to accept, but it makes you realize you have to work hard and you have to respond," Berehowsky said. "The only thing I can control is how hard I work. That's the only thing in my power and that's the only thing I'm focusing on."

The gritty Ukrainian defenseman finally caught a break after fellow blueliner Paul Mara injured his left foot. With Mara sidelined, Berehowsky slid back into the line-up and, paired with Danny Markov, became part of the most effective defensive rotation during the Coyotes' 6-0-0-1 mark following the Olympic break.

"He has done everything that's been asked of him, and he's handled it like a real pro," said Coyotes coach Bobby Francis.

Berehowsky ended the 2001-2002 hockey season riding high hoping to maintain the up direction in this roller coaster of a year.

Milestones for Bondra

When Peter Bondra is hot, the best thing to do is just get out of the way. Simply let the Lutsk, Ukraine, native winger shoot away. Most of the time there is very little that can stop him.

In the space of less than a week, Bondra recorded his 397th and 398th goals - surpassing Hall of Famer Mike Gartner as the all-time leading Capitals goal-scorer - and then added goals No. 400 and 401.

"I don't know how you can measure it, but a guy like Peter can't get much better for a franchise," said General Manager George McPhee. "He has grown up here, he continues to score goals, he brings speed to the line-up and he's a very well-liked guy."

One of Bondra's goals was his 10th power-play strike of the season. After going scoreless for some six games, the left-winger put up seven goals in six games, leaving his reputation as a streaky player quite intact.

Bondra was presented with a silver stick by majority-owner Ted Leonsis before a game last December in recognition of his efforts.

Joey T. among Panthers with lots of fight

When one says "the opening drop" about Florida Panthers games, one must distinctly clarify: is it the opening drop of the puck or dropping of the gloves?

The first 26 games under the team's new coach, Mike Keenan, saw the Panthers average 1.88 fights per game (49 in 26) after averaging only 1.03 (27 in 26) under fired coach Duane Sutter. Even if one subtracts a 13-fight weekend against Dallas and Atlanta as a statistical anomaly, the Keenan-coached Panthers average 1.50 fights per game. There are two schools of thought on the pugilistic upswing by a team which was already the NHL's most penalized.

"When you play a more in-your-face style of game, it's bound to happen," said left-winger Peter Worrell.

"Guys are getting frustrated and they want to show the new coach they do care," said Ukrainian right-winger and active troublemaker/enforcer Joey Tetarenko, who earned a three-fight ejection against Atlanta last January 19. (Three fights in one game means automatic banishment to the dressing room.)

Coach Keenan added, "If a player fights to retaliate or to get noticed after the fact, that tells me a player wasn't ready to play that night."

UKRAINIAN UTTERINGS: Flyers' center Jeremy Roenick apologized to Alexei Zhitnik after he gave the Buffalo defenseman an unexpected check into the boards early in the NHL All-Star Game at Los Angeles on February 2. Skating a little less than nine minutes per game may not sound like much, but Wade Belak is proving himself to be invaluable to the Maple Leafs because of his versatility. Belak has played both wing and defense this season, flipping back and forth between the two, depending on Toronto's injury situation. He's comfortable enough that he can practice all week at one position and then switch if coach Pat Quinn has to make a last-minute adjustment. ... The Sabres tried using defenseman Alexei Zhitnik as much as possible - and he seemed to get better the more he played. Zhitnik averaged nearly 26 minutes a game and led the team's blueline corps with 33 assists, good enough for third best on the team. He played against the top scoring lines and handled the puck better than any other Sabres defender. ... Washington's Andrei Nikolishin played in his 500th NHL game on March 4. ... The first of Oleg Tverdovsky's three assists in a 6-1 victory January 25 at Dallas made him the NHL's youngest active defenseman with 200. ... After missing 54 games following shoulder surgery, left-winger and co-captain Steve Konowalchuk made it back right after the Olympic break, as promised. ...

(Thanks to beat writers Rich Chere, Bob McManaman, Dave Fay and David J. Neal for quotes.)

Final transactions/injuries

ANAHEIM - Vitaly Vishnevski, D, sprained left ankle, day-to-day; Vishnevski suspended by NHL two games for elbowing Penguin Michal Roszival; Oleg Tverdovsky, D, strained groin, day-to-day; Gregg Naumenko, GT, recalled from Cincinnati (AHL).

ATLANTA - Darcy Hordichuk, LW, assigned to Chicago (AHL); Hordichuk traded to Phoenix Coyotes.

CAROLINA - Steve Halko, D, and fourth-round draft pick in 2002 traded to St. Louis for Sean Hill, D; Randy Petruk, GT, recalled from Florida (ECL); Petruk later returned; Ryan Bayda, LW, signed three-year contract and assigned to Lowell (AHL).

COLORADO - Jordan Krestanovich, LW, recalled from Hershey (AHL).

DALLAS - Brad Lukowich, D, broken left ring finger, indefinite; mid-January; Lukowich concussion, day-to-day.

FLORIDA - Denis Shvidki, RW, assigned to Utah (AHL); Joey Tetarenko, D, back pain, indefinite.

NEW JERSEY - Ken Daneyko, D, bruised right shoulder, indefinite.

OTTAWA - Curtis Leschyshyn, D, flu, day-to-day.

PHILADELPHIA - Ruslan Fedotenko, RW, bruised right knee, indefinite; Todd Fedoruk, LW, assigned to Philadelphia (AHL) and later recalled.

PHOENIX - Drake Berehowsky, D, acquired in five-player trade with Vancouver Canucks; Darcy Hordichuk, LW, assigned to Springfield (AHL) and later recalled.

ST. LOUIS - Steve Halko, D, assigned to Worcester (AHL); Halko, broken nose and concussion, indefinite; Halko recalled and later returned; Keith Tkachuk, LW, deep thigh bruise and strained groin, indefinite.

TAMPA BAY - Nikita Alexeev, RW, recalled from Springfield (AHL) and later returned; Alexeev later recalled again; Dieter Kochan, GT, recalled from Springfield (AHL).

TORONTO - Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW, recalled from St. John's (AHL), returned and again recalled; Wade Belak, D, stomach virus, day-to-day.

WASHINGTON - Glen Metropolit, C/RWrecalled from Portland(AHL); Steve Konowalchuk, LW, shoulder surgery, March 1; Metropolit assigned to Portland and later recalled again.

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