By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted September 18 2003
SUNRISE · Maybe no one was more delighted than Roberto Luongo when the Panthers acquired veterans Lyle Odelein, Todd Gill and Eric Messier.
If the Panthers are going anywhere, they must cut down the shots allowed. No team gave up more than the Panthers' 33.2 a game last season.
So Luongo, who has shown his frustration on the ice the past two seasons, was thrilled when the Panthers addressed this shortcoming.
"The shots don't bother me," Luongo said. "It's the scoring chances that you want to cut down a little bit. But in training camp, so far I've noticed a big difference. Every time we play with the veteran defensemen on my team, it just seems much easier for me to do my job. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come."
Luongo, 24, is striving for consistency, but he can't do it all. Last year he was abandoned too often by defensemen allowing opponents to camp in front of him or forwards not in proper position to receive passes, which led to neutral- and defensive-zone giveaways.
Defensive-oriented, experienced additions like Odelein, Gill, Mikael Samuelsson and the versatile Messier, who can play forward or defense, should help.
"From my standpoint, I was trying to do my job as best I could last year, but after a while you try to be patient but it just gets to you," Luongo said. "I was frustrated with everything."
Luongo won a career-high 20 games and set single-season team marks for saves (1,847), shots (2,011), games (65), minutes (3,627) and shutouts (six). He became the Panthers' all-time leader with 15 shutouts.
When the Panthers flirted with a playoff spot, Luongo was on top of his game. He had a 2.17 goals-against average and .935 save percentage over his last 20 starts but posted only an 8-10-2 record because of disappointing play in front of him.
He continued his hot play into the World Championships, leading Canada to a gold medal in relief of the injured Sean Burke.
"I gained a lot of experience in that one tournament," Luongo said. "It just carries over. Right now ... I feel more confident and more at ease."
Luongo finished with a 2.71 goals-against average, and coach Mike Keenan would like that to drop by at least half a goal. As in last training camp, Keenan has upped the pressure by reminding Luongo that Jani Hurme is waiting in the wings.
"Jani had an incredible offseason," Keenan said. "He's really well trained and [has] worked very hard. It's a big plus for us because he'll push Louie, which is really important. You can tell by the way Louie's approaching things right now that he knows this is a breakout year for him.
"He wants to get recognition in the league. He wants to get recognition with the 2004 World Cup coming up. He looks at two Stanley Cup finalist French Canadian goaltenders [Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Martin Brodeur]. He wants to be in the mix for the 2006 Olympics."
Hurme, who earned points in his first 10 starts as a Panther, was also frustrated down the stretch because Keenan, who loves to ride one goalie, went with Luongo almost every night. Hurme started three of the final 32 games.
With Chris Mason emerging in San Antonio, Hurme, who will make $1.1 million, could become trade bait.
"If [Hurme] he plays well, then one of two things will happen," General Manager Rick Dudley said. "He'll become such an asset that we'll be obliged to move him or he's going to get more playing time. If he plays at the level he's capable of playing, then he almost forces something to happen."
In the meantime, Luongo comes in with the mentality of "I'm No. 1. I just have one goal in mind, and that's the playoffs.
"I'm sure if that happens, everything will follow along with that and it'll mean I had a good year. Every game is crucial in this league, so that's my only mind-set right now."
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted September 19 2003
SUNRISE -- Todd Gill, signed last month by the Panthers to provide experience, leadership and toughness on defense, attacked teammate Max Birbraer while Birbraer was stretching at practice Thursday.
Gill, upset at what he felt was a cheap shot from Birbraer during the first period of a scrimmage, appeared to kick and knee Birbraer in the face before jumping on him as the Panthers' prospect stretched on the ice to prepare for the second period. As teammates pulled Gill off, Birbraer briefly stayed on the ice crumpled over. While initially "dazed," he soon stood up uninjured and the period began.
Trying to downplay the incident, Birbraer, 22, said, "Todd Gill's an old player, a very respectable person. I guess, the way it looked, I deserved it."
The incident began when Gill, 37, was skating to touch up an icing. Birbraer tried to beat Gill to the puck and crashed into the 19-year veteran of more than 1,000 games.
Few things anger players more than being hit after an icing whistle. Gill was irate and a linesman had to pull him away.
"I kind of went to the boards awkwardly," Birbraer said. "Nobody means to try to hurt anybody, obviously, but we just had a misunderstanding. It's part of the game. I expected roughness out there. It's an intense camp."
Later in the period, Gill came off the bench, sprinted toward Birbraer and pushed him from behind, but Birbraer turned and went to the bench.
The period ended, but Gill was unable to cool down during the break. When the teams returned to the ice, Gill sought out Birbraer, saw him stretching, skated over and kicked him.
"All I saw was somebody's feet, but that's it," Birbraer said. "Originally, I was kind of dazed. Then I got up. I was fine. He went into the boards pretty hard, too. I didn't mean to do it, especially in training camp. It's your own player. I wasn't trying to hurt him."
Gill tersely said, "He did what he thought he had to do. I did what I thought I had to do. It's over with. We go on."
General Manager Rick Dudley said he planned to talk to Gill. Altercations are common in training camp, but usually occur in the heat of battle.
"Obviously, we don't like that," he said. "I haven't talked to him yet, but I would guess if he had to do over again, Todd wouldn't have done that. I'm sure he was frustrated. He was probably sore when he fell into the boards and didn't like that.
"Todd Gill's been a tough competitor for a long time, but I would have chosen a different response."
The Panthers have signed Gill to a one-year, $500,000 deal, but the two sides can part ways if he doesn't earn a job. The acquisitions of Lyle Odelein and Eric Messier could squeeze him out, but he's looked solid. Birbraer also has been impressive and will likely play in AHL San Antonio.
"It's funny," Dudley said. "I did an interview earlier about Max and I said, `The one thing that he's been able to do in every scrimmage that he needs to continue to do is get under people's skin and use that to make people angry.'"
"Well," Dudley said, laughing, "he took it to another level, I guess. That's what he does. He gets in and he hits. If he continues to do that, he's an effective player because he's got skill and he's got speed."
Michael Russo can be reached at mrusso@sun-sentinel.com.
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PHOTOS
Max Birbraer See larger image (Sun-Sentinel/Susan Stocker)
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
9/21/2003 FLORIDA PANTHERS ASSIGN 11 TO SAN ANTONIO CAMP
Panthers Re-assign 11 Players to American Hockey League Affiliate
SUNRISE, FLA. - Florida Panthers General Manager Rick Dudley announced today that the club has assigned 11 players to the San Antonio Rampage training camp. Joining Florida’s top affiliate are: D Kent Huskins, C Mike Green, D Grant McNeill, G Simon Lajeunesse, G Travis Scott, RW Denis Shvidki, RW Max Birbraer, LW Lee Goren, RW Juraj Kolnik, C Petr Taticek and D Jeff Paul. The re-assignment of the 11 players leaves the Panthers with 37 players in training camp.
The Panthers, 1-1-0-0 in pre-season action, will hold training camp in San Antonio all this week. The team’s next game will be Friday night at Anaheim against the Stanley Cup finalist Mighty Ducks at 10:30 p.m. (EST).
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
schade mal wieder für SHVIDKI.....3 versuch net geklappt...entweder liegt das an der massigen konkurenz...oder was weiss ich...schlecht ist der ja nu wirklich net...am besten sie traden ihn...ich hoffe es fuer ihn ____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted October 1 2003 ATLANTA · Right wing Ivan Novoseltsev is one of a handful of established Panthers who will be up for grabs in Friday's waiver draft, NHL sources said.
On Tuesday the Panthers submitted their protected list of 18 skaters and two goaltenders to the NHL, and they opted to leave the fifth-year Novoseltsev exposed.The league will release each team's protected and unprotected lists today. Last week General Manager Rick Dudley said the Panthers had no protection problems but indicated they would make some incumbents who were on the bubble available in hope of some teams claiming them.
Novoseltsev, 24, a fourth-round pick in 1997, has not lived up to the promise of his 57-goal, 96-point final year in Sarnia of the Ontario League.
He scored 28 goals and 68 points in 200 games with the Panthers, coming off a 10-goal, 27-point 2002-03 season in which he took a dip statistically while playing eight more games.
Novoseltsev is fast and skilled, but his hockey sense has limited him -- he has consistently made questionable decisions.
The Panthers tried to trade Novoseltsev in summer and failed, and he also cleared waivers in August.
Because of his $877,250 salary, the chances of another team claiming him are slim. The Panthers could send him to the minors, but they'd have to pay him his full NHL salary there.
It's believed the other two "established" players to be left unprotected are right wing Jaroslav Bednar, who makes $500,000, and defenseman Pavel Trnka, who makes $1 million.
If nobody claims them, the Panthers retain their rights and they could still make the team.
In the waiver draft, no team can lose more than three players unless it chooses to offer more.
Each club's three-loss limit increases by the number of claims it makes against other clubs.
Michael Russo can be reached at mrusso@sun-sentinel.com.
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
SUNRISE · With eight days left until the start of the season, coach Mike Keenan said Tuesday that he'll still be trying to evaluate personnel and implement a system during the Panthers' final two exhibition games.
"We're trying to sort things out," Keenan said. The Panthers play at Atlanta this evening and Saturday at home against the Lightning One matter Keenan wants to sort out is whether 18-year-old center Nathan Horton, who has been outstanding in preseason, should be sent back to his junior team in Oshawa, Ontario.
If Horton is to stay with the Panthers, he must be signed by Tuesday.
That means a $1.24 million (rookie salary cap), plus bonus incentives that sometimes can double or triple a rookie's salary.
The 6-2, 201-pound Horton could provide something the Pathers have lacked: a player with a scorer's touch who isn't shy about driving the net.
Asked if he wants to see Horton in uniform for the opener against Carolina, Keenan replied, "I can't tell you that right now."
"He's kept himself in the mix," Keenan said. "For an 18-year-old, that's a good sign. How it works out in the end is not resolved at this point from a coaching perspective. He's competing with some good hockey players here and a lot of depth."
The only sure thing is that Olli Jokinen will center the first line. Matt Cullen could center the second, but things are wide open after that.
Vaclav Nedorost (acquired from Colorado) is recovering from shoulder surgery, and former first-round pick Stephen Weiss has been inconsistent and could be headed to the minors. That leaves Horton.
"He's awful young," Keenan said. "I've had young players and have had a lot of success with young players. He's still going to be young regardless of when he ends up here."
Keenan said the Panthers will continue to evaluate through Friday's waiver draft. "The final game will be impacted by what happens on the waiver draft and we'll make some assessments," he said.
But the coach says he's liked what he's seen through camp.
"I'm really happy," he said. "It's been very competitive, there's plenty of depth. ... The decisions are going to be difficult in the end, and that's a good thing, a sign the team is getting better. We've seen a lot of players play, and the results are encouraging."
Injury update
Valeri Bure did not go to Atlanta because of a slight groin injury from Tuesday's practice. He is listed as day-to-day. ...
Defenseman Lukas Krajicek (shoulder) and left winger Gregory Campbell (knee) were cleared for contact for the first time since camp started. ... Goalie Roberto Luongo traveled to Atlanta with the Panthers but was not expected to play this evening.
Dave Joseph can be reached at djoseph@sun-sentinel.com.
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Florida Panthers (1-1-1-1) take on the Atlanta Thrashers (3- 3-0-0) at 7:30 tonight at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The game marks the first time that the two clubs have met during the preseason.
LIFETIME SERIES: The Panthers and Thrashers have met 20 times during the regular season with Florida posting a 7-6-5-2 record against its divisional rivals. Last year the Cats owned a 3-1-0-1 mark against the Thrashers. Olli Jokinen notched seven (5-2-7) points in five games, while Viktor Kozlov recorded four (1-3-4) points in four games against Atlanta.
UP NEXT: The Cats return to South Florida and close out their preseason slate with a rematch against their intrastate rivals the Lightning on Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Office Depot Center.
GAME RECAP 9/28/03 VS. TAMPA BAY (2-3 OTL): Brad Richards scored 1:10 into overtime, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Defenseman Pavel Kubina gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with a short-handed goal at 14:52 of the third period, but Panthers center Nathan Horton poked a rebound past John Grahame with 7 seconds left to force overtime. Florida center Olli Jokinen opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the preseason, lifting a penalty Shot past Grahame 4:52 into the game. Grahame set up the penalty shot by throwing his stick at a puck shot by defenseman Jay Bouwmeester after being caught far from his net during a Lightning power play.
GAME RECAP 9/26/03 VS. ANAHEIM (4-4 T): Nathan Horton and Niklas Hagman scored in the third period for the Florida Panthers to force a 4-4 tie with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Friday night. Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in last season's Stanley Cup playoffs, made 32 saves in his first preseason appearance, including one on a breakaway in overtime. The Mighty Ducks led 4-2 when Horton and Hagman scored a little more than 2 minutes apart. Horton, the Panthers' first selection in this year's NHL entry draft, fired a wrist shot from the right face-off circle for a power-play goal at 1:55. Hagman tied the score at 4:12. Ivan Novoseltsev dug the puck out from behind the net and passed to Hagman, who slid a wrist shot underneath Giguere. Rob Niedermayer had a goal and three assists for the Mighty Ducks. Juraj Kolnik and Eric Messier also scored for the Panthers. Florida goalie Chris Mason finished with 35 saves.
GAME RECAP 9/20/03 VS. COLORADO (4-7 L): In the inaugural game at the Budweiser Events Center in Fort Collins, Colo., the Avalanche pleased the hometown crowd with a 7-4 win over the Panthers. Jaroslav Bednar and Mike Van Ryn each recorded a pair of points in the loss, while rookies Anthony Stewart and Nathan Horton each netted their first professional goals on Saturday night. Milan Hejduk (2-2-4) and Marek Svatos (2-1-3) accounted for four of the Avalanche's seven goals in the win.
GAME RECAP 9/19/03 VS. CAROLINA (9-2 W): Olli Jokinen scored a hat trick and Roberto Luongo stopped eight of nine shots and added an assist as the Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 9-2 at the Office Depot Center on Friday night. Jokinen scored twice in the second period to complete his hat trick, the team's first in the preseason since Niklas Hagman tallied three against Carolina in Estero, Fla., on Sept. 18, 2001, while linemates Viktor Kozlov and Eric Messier assisted on all three goals. Kristian Huselius added a pair of goals and Valeri Bure notched a team-high four assists as the Panthers cruised to victory.
BATTLING BACK: The Cats have forced overtime in each of their past two preseason games, finishing in a draw with Anaheim on Friday night, before dropping a 3-2 decision to Tampa Bay on Sunday night. Florida completed the 2002-03 campaign ranking third in the NHL playing in 26 overtime affairs.
TEAM LEADERS: Center Olli Jokinen (4-1-5) and right wing Valeri Bure (0-5-5) lead the club with five points. Jokinen (four goals) and Bure (five assists) place second among league leaders in their respective categories.
MAKING HIS POINT: Rookie center Nathan Horton recorded the third goal in Friday night's contest against Anaheim to spark the Panthers 4-4 tie against the Ducks and netted the game-tying goal in Sunday's contest against the Lightning to force overtime. Horton is on a three-goal scoring streak, dating back to the Panthers contest against Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 20.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS: On Sunday, Sept. 28, the Panthers recalled defenseman Jeff Paul from San Antonio and assigned defenseman Kyle Rossiter and left wing Eric Beaudoin to the San Antonio camp. On Thursday, Sept. 25, the Panthers released defenseman Peter Kadlec and recalled right wing Juraj Kolnik from San Antonio.
PRESEASON PRECEDENTS: The Panthers have recorded just one winning record in their 10 previous preseasons, going 6-2-1 (.722) prior to the 2000-01 season. Preseason records have not however been a good indicator of regular season success. The Panthers went 0-4-3 in seven preseason games in 1999, but went on to compile a 43-27-6 (.605) record and finish second in the division with 98 points. Florida was 3-3-2 (.500) in the 1995 preseason before going on to the club's first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Panthers enter tonight's game with a 24-41-14-3 mark in preseason contests.
INJURED PLAYERS RETURN: Left wing Greg Campbell and defenseman Lukas Krajicek skated with the team Tuesday and participated in full-contact practice at the Office Depot Center. Campbell had not participated in practice since sustaining a knee injury earlier in camp, and Krajicek is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery
____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
The Florida Panthers avenged a 3-2 overtime loss at Tampa Bay last Sunday with a regulation win by the same score Saturday night at the Office Depot Center. Roberto Luongo made 21 saves on 23 shots as the Cats closed the exhibition schedule with a 2-2-1-1 mark and a 2-0 record on home ice. Darcy Hordichuk, Ivan Novoseltsev and Marcus Nilson scored for Florida and Mathieu Biron added two assists.
Cory Stillman gave the Lightning the early lead with a breakaway goal just 1:15 into the game. Stillman found himself behind the Florida defense after Vincent Lecavalier sprung him with an outlet pass. The Cats tied the game at the 14:36 mark as Byron Ritchie showed some outside speed down the left wing, cut in on goal and unleashed a tough-angle shot at the Lightning net. Nikolai Khabibulin made the save, but Hordichuk drove the net hard and stuffed in the rebound.
The Panthers took the lead 2:10 into the second period when Biron sprung Novoseltsev on a partial breakaway down the right wing. Novoseltsev unleashed a shot from the top of the right circle that eluded Khabibulin.
The Panthers, who out-shot the Lightning 12-8 in the second period, extended the lead just before the second intermission on a power play. Mike Van Ryn passed from the top of the slot to Jay Bouwmeester on the right boards. Bouwmeester snuck a pretty pass through traffic to Nilson, who pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand and slipped the puck just over the goal line with 45 seconds left in the period. Van Ryn finished his impressive preseason slate with six points (two goals, four assists), tying Olli Jokinen for the team's scoring lead.
Florida was dominant in the face-off circle, winning 38 of 64 draws (59%). The top line of Jokinen, Nilson and Viktor Kozlov combined for eight of Florida's 30 shots on goal. The Cats open the 2003-2004 regular season on Thursday night against Southeast Division rival Carolina at 7:30 p.m. at the Office Depot Center.
http://www.flpanthers.com ____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
Game Day Coach's Comments Panthers 3, Lightning 2 (Pre-Season) - October 4 On the line of Niklas Hagman, Byron Ritchie and Eric Messier and their play:
“They did a good job. I thought it was a good mix tonight in terms of balance, and that group of six (forwards) with the exception of Darcy (Hordichuk) were killing penalties. It was a good balance of contributions. That's a good confidence builder for people that worked very hard tonight. They were really dependable defensively and you really need that in those situations.”
On the difference between tonight's game and last Sunday's game at Tampa Bay:
“Again, the comment I made last week was that, in fairness to our team, we had a grueling travel schedule that really affected the energy level of our team and even the concentration level of the entire group. Not only the travel schedule, but also the two-a-day sessions for a week, so it really – I felt – was demanding in terms of taking their energy systems to a different level because we had worked so hard. It will benefit us in the long run. That was the whole idea. That was going to be a tough week and so I think it will pay dividends what we've gone through.”
On the play of Marcus Nilson tonight:
“Marcus had a really sharp game. He was sharp. Beautiful goal, quick hands. He adds a lot to the line with Kozzie and Olli. He's got quickness. He's not the fastest skater but he's a quick skater. He's got quickness around the offensive zone and he pursues the puck with quickness and that helps them a lot.”
On Marcus Nilson's quickness and coming off the concussion last spring:
“There's a difference between fast and quickness. Quickness is that little dart ability and fast is (Jay) Bouwmeester. He trained very hard to come off the concussion. His quickness was there and he just has to make sure he looks after himself in terms of getting rest or working through situations like he did in terms of if there's anything bothering him. He's really in tune with his body and if he feels comfortable, he's ready to go.”
On going 2-0 at home and the preseason overall:
“I think it's two good signs. We come off the preseason at .500 and we have two wins at home. That being said, we had a tough travel schedule going to Colorado, going out to Anaheim, and then flying all the way back for our third away game in Tampa. So it was really demanding but I'm proud of the way the team worked through it and dealt with the demands that we put on them.”
On getting points from the blue line:
“We got some points from Van Ryn, Bouwmeester and Biron. We're encouraging that and we'll continue to encourage it because we have to pick up some offense from the back side, either by really crisp outlet passes, or by them getting involved in the offense.”
On Mike Van Ryn benefiting offensively from playing with Chris Pronger:
“If he was out there with Chris (Pronger), Chris probably dominated and it was Mike's responsibility probably to back him up. He's got offensive skills. He makes a good pass and he can shoot the puck. The one he shot over (Byron) Dafoe in Atlanta, off the crossbar, looked like Al MacInnis shooting. Well, boys, that's pushing the envelope, but that was a great shot he let go. But he can contribute because he can shoot the puck and he gets himself in position where he can see the net and there's an opening.
http://www.flpanthers.com ____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted October 5 2003
SUNRISE · Jonas Hoglund thought he was a shoo-in to make the Panthers.
But after a cursory closed-door meeting with General Manager Rick Dudley on Saturday, Hoglund stormed out of the Office Depot Center and is looking for work today. The veteran winger, signed Sept. 4 to what essentially was a tryout, was expected to chip in 20-25 goals. Instead, he was given his unconditional release after not impressing the Panthers enough while playing mostly alongside Olli Jokinen and Viktor Kozlov.
"He was not happy," Dudley said. "I said, `You had to come in here and outplay some other people and you didn't do that.' We looked at a couple people and said, `Can Jonas Hoglund help us more than them?' He didn't show that."
So with Hoglund gone, Marcus Nilson, out all preseason with hip and knee problems, took his customary spot on the left side of Jokinen-Kozlov in Saturday's exhibition finale. The line clicked like last season as Nilson scored the winning goal on one of his five shots in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ivan Novoseltsev and Darcy Hordichuk also scored, Mathieu Biron had two assists and Jokinen won 19 of 27 faceoffs.
By cutting Hoglund, the Panthers are relying on mostly last year's players to continue or improve their goal production. The Panthers scored 176 goals last season, second fewest in the NHL and a franchise low.
The Panthers expect dramatic improvement out of Valeri Bure, Matt Cullen, Niklas Hagman and Stephen Weiss. They expect Vaclav Nedorost and Lukas Krajicek to eventually step in. They believe Jay Bouwmeester will be much more confident offensively, which Bouwmeester showed Saturday.
But the Panthers' scoring questions conceivably add pressure to sign 18-year-old power forwards Nathan Horton and Anthony Stewart. And the clock is ticking -- they must be signed by 3 p.m. Monday.
Agent Paul Krepelka and assistant GM Grant Sonier talked Saturday.
"I think it's fair to say there's still somewhat of a difference in what we're prepared to do and what they're prepared to accept," Dudley said.
Krepelka said that "nothing got accomplished." Dudley met with owner Alan Cohen during Saturday's game to, according to Krepelka, "get authorization to see if we could proceed or not."
Dudley said he's not optimistic.
"If it can't get done, it can't get done and that's OK, too," Dudley said.
But Horton, at least, is the type of player who could probably step in and succeed immediately. He looked comfortable in the preseason, scoring three goals in four games (he and Stewart didn't play the last two games because they were unsigned).
Dudley thinks Nedorost, who was sent to the minors to continue his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, has a chance to be better over the full season than Horton would at age 18.
But with Mike Keenan coaching, is there any doubt Keenan plays Horton the most minutes of any center not named Jokinen?
Still, Keenan said that if the "kids" aren't signed, he's confident the current cast can score more goals and allow fewer.
"All we need is a guy like Hagman to have a breakout season, and we don't have a problem with offense," he said. "If we can pick up half a goal a game more and drop half a goal a game against, that's an 80-goal swing. That's huge."
If the Panthers don't sign Horton or Stewart, it could jeopardize ever getting them signed, a source close to the negotiations said.
"I think I've done what I've wanted to do," Horton said. "I just want to get this over with and hopefully I can get to stay here."
Michael Russo can be reached at mrusso@sun-sentinel.com.
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____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
Going, going ... staying: Luongo is `last man standing'
By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted October 5 2003
SUNRISE · As reporters walked into the Panthers' locker room Saturday morning and said hello to goaltender Roberto Luongo, the quick-witted Luongo smiled and cracked, "Last man standing."
Luongo is the only goalie remaining from the three who practiced the day before, thanks to Friday's waiver draft in which Nos. 2 and 3 goalies Jani Hurme and Chris Mason were claimed. If Luongo, who played 65 games last year, thought coach Mike Keenan rode one goalie before, he'd better strap his skates on tight with inexperienced Steve Valiquette as his potential backup.
"My expectations are that Roberto is going to play three-quarters of the games," said Keenan, who later joked he'd use Luongo to break Grant Fuhr's record of 79 appearances for St. Louis in 1995-96. Keenan coached the Blues at the time.
Keenan said he supported General Manager Rick Dudley's decision to expose Hurme because Dudley assured him "he could secure another experienced goaltender as a backup."
Owner Alan Cohen said Friday that he was "livid" with Dudley for losing two goalies. Assistant GM Grant Sonier came to Dudley's defense, saying he and the coaching staff -- Keenan and assistants John Torchetti and Mike Pelino -- were on board.
"There were some things that were rushed [Friday]," Sonier said. "The one thing that wasn't rushed was the decision of whether or not to expose Jani. With the endorsement of the coaching staff, the consensus was, "We're not that bad off losing Jani Hurme."
Asked to respond to Cohen's discontent, Dudley said, "At the end of the day, I think he'll be happy how it evolves."
Dudley has potential backups in mind if Valiquette doesn't prove a worthy No. 2. Luongo endorsed him, however; he and Valiquette spent time together in the Islanders' system.
"He's a great guy," Luongo said. "He's a big guy, 6-foot-5, takes up a lot of room in net and plays the butterfly style like me."
Hurme was popular among his teammates and many voiced surprise.
"I was taking a nap and my mom called," Luongo said. "I asked her if she heard any news. She went on [the Internet] and said the Florida Panthers lost their backup goalie. I thought they were talking about Mason, but she read it to me and I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know it was possible to lose two goalies."
Some teammates voiced anger.
"He was my best friend here," center Olli Jokinen said. "The way it happened, I'm a little disappointed and so is he. I'm the wrong guy to answer why they made the move or what happened. I can't worry about that. I guess they know what they're doing over in the office."
Van Ryn earns spot
The training camp's biggest surprise, defenseman Mike Van Ryn, has earned a roster spot to start the season. ... Right wing Valeri Bure didn't practice Saturday with a pulled groin. Keenan expects him on the ice Monday in hope of playing Thursday's season opener. ... Stephen Weiss did not play against Tampa Bay because of a stomach virus. Craig MacDonald replaced him. ... The Panthers sent Vaclav Nedorost, Lukas Krajicek, Juraj Kolnik, Jeff Paul and Gregory Campbell to the minors. A number of players, including Denis Shvidki, were put on waivers in order to send them to the minors. ... Before Saturday's game, the Florida Challenge was announced: The winner of the season series between the Panthers and Lightning will receive $5,000 from the losing team for their charitable foundation.
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____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
BOSTON -- Steve Shields was traded Sunday by the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers, who needed to strengthen their goaltending.
The Bruins received future considerations in the deal that came three days before the season opens.
Shields will replace backup goalie Jani Hurme, who was lost in Friday's NHL waiver draft. Roberto Luongo is Florida's starting goalie.
"We had a couple of other options," Panthers general manager Rick Dudley said. "Shields was at the top of the list."
The move leaves Boston with goaltenders Andrew Raycroft and Felix Potvin. Potvin signed as a free agent before training camp.
Shields had a 12-13-9 record and 2.75 goals-against average in 36 games last season. He has spent nine years in the league and also played with Buffalo and San Jose.
In two preseason games, Shields was 1-1-0 with a 3.75 goals-against average. His record is 76-96-38 with a 2.59 goals-against average in 225 NHL games.
The Bruins open Wednesday at home against New Jersey. Florida opens at home against Carolina the next night.
"Wenn man 0:4 zurück liegt, muss man dem Gegner eine Botschaft rüber schicken. Das ist o.k. Das ist nordamerikanisches Denken." Rich Chernonaz on a Rob-Francz-Fight Every day I set a new record for the number of days that I have lived.
da hätten sie auch hurme behalten koennen tststs ____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
By Michael Russo Staff Writer Posted October 7 2003
SUNRISE · As Nathan Horton walked into the Panthers' locker room Monday after his first practice as a signed, sealed and bona fide NHL player, the new teenage millionaire got razzed from every direction.
His heckling teammates expect dinner on Horton, and all the 18-year-old could do was nod and smile.
Horton, who grew up a Panthers fan, signed a three-year, $3.72-million contract Monday morning and will make his NHL debut Thursday against Carolina. Horton wants to drive the net, bang bodies and score goals, so he's the type of player coach Mike Keenan likes.
So Iron Mike was pleased, to say the least.
"As [assistant coach] Mike Pelino put it, `Great for Nathan and great for us,'" Keenan said.
Horton's signing meant the loss of Stephen Weiss' job. Weiss, 20, who made the jump from junior hockey to the NHL last season, was sent to San Antonio on Monday. He took the demotion maturely.
"I'm not sulking about this or anything," Weiss said. "I'm going to work hard and hopefully rekindle the game I had in junior and get that kind of confidence back.
"I'm looking forward to going down and playing a lot more. I think it'll be for the best. Hopefully I'll get back as soon as possible and stay for good."
General Manager Rick Dudley said, "Stephen's a very strong kid in terms of his mental makeup. I think he'll go down there and have some fun being a very key member of that hockey team. When we call down there and I ask for the best player, I want it to be Stephen Weiss."
The Panthers were unable to sign Anthony Stewart and Petr Taticek by Monday's deadline. Both players will return to their junior teams today. The Panthers can sign Taticek by Jan. 15 and assign him to San Antonio. He'll become a free agent if unsigned by June 1.
Taticek could be expendable because the Panthers have a talented future centers Olli Jokinen, Vaclav Nedorost, Horton, Weiss and Kamil Kreps.
"We have to make a decision where [Taticek] fits in," Dudley said.
Of Stewart, Dudley said, "We weren't sure that this kid could play in the NHL [now], so if we were going to sign him, it had to be a deal that made a lot of sense to us. We came a long way. Our owner has no problem stepping up to the plate, but they just said they didn't want the deal."
Horton centered Niklas Hagman and Mikael Samuelsson on the third line Monday. Keenan, who has coached a number of young power forwards who flourished under him -- Jeremy Roenick, Rick Tocchet, Joe Thornton, Todd Bertuzzi and Olli Jokinen -- said he won't be shy with Horton's ice time.
Keenan also plans to give him power-play time.
"We saw in the preseason that he can take minutes," Keenan said. "He'll get better as he learns and deals with the demands of an 82-game NHL schedule. When you're coaching young players, you just watch for their levels of consistency."
The Panthers cut their roster to 24 including injured Valeri Bure, who is expected to practice this morning. They must be at 23 by Thursday's opener.
So with one more cut, the likely candidates are Craig MacDonald, Ivan Novoseltsev, Jaroslav Bednar, Byron Ritchie and Pavel Trnka.
Michael Russo can be reached at mrusso@sun-sentinel.com.
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____________________________________________ UUUUUUIIIIIIII -------------------------------------------- Forum am 07.08.2002 Bei den Frankfurt Lions soll es in der nächsten Saison der Deutschen Eishockeyliga (DEL) wieder aufwärts gehen. \"Wir wollen endlich wieder mal einen Playoff-Platz erobern und unter die besten acht Teams kommen\", sagte Clubeigner Gerd Schröder.
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