The Prince George Citizen — Monday, December 28, 1987 — 21 NHL outlook rosy after upbeat year by Canadian Press 15 games as the league cracksand forced the board of governorsbrawls during the 1986-87 regularthe Islanders’ return to the highFlames have been sizzling. The down is on violence. recently to revise its bylaws. Ziegl­season, but there has yet to be onecalibre of play that saw them win One thing that has not changed, attracting more customers to The Brown incident — a sticker assessed the Vancouver Ca­ this season because new fines Sndfour consecutive Stanley Cupsand in never will, is that coaches con­ games that are more competitive,across Ranger forward Tomas nucks a heavy fine when they penalties ne­ have made such displaysthe early 1980s; and the huge im­tinue to have little job security. has a working agreement with itsSandstrom’s nead — and the pre­ gotiated to hire Quinn for an exec­totally impractical. provement of the New Jersey De­Ron Lapointe replaced Andrp Sa­ ivers that puts it in the forefrontgame Montreal-Philadelphiautive post while he still was coach­The biggest team stories so far vils. vard in Quebec and Robbie Ftorek of labor relations in professionalplayoff brawl last May were two ofing Los Angeles. But the B.C. Su­this season have been: the consist­Gretzky has called the Canadiens took over from Mike Murphy in sports and is basking in the glorythe ugliest NHL scenes in 1987. preme Court vastly reduced the ent play of the Canadiens which“the best team right now.” Los Angeles as the Nordiques and of the recent triumphThe affair was thefine. has them riding comfortably alongThe Flyers have awoken fromKings changed coaches quickly this of its brightest stars over the So­most embarrassing to the NHL, There were seven bench-clearingin No. 1 spot in overall standings;their early-season slumber and theseason. viets. Indeed, in the broad scope of things, times are good for the NHL. The 3^2-per-cent increase in total attendance, including the playoffs, during the 1986-87 season — to BI-RITE FURN ITURE'S 13,239,847 tickets sold — was the biggest jump since expansion to 21 teams in 1979. “Right now, over 50 per cent of our teams are making money,” says NHL president John Ziegler. “Others are just under the break­ even and only three or four AFTER CHRISTMAS SALE teams lost a lot of money last sea­ son.” GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN — BOTH LOCATIONS And competitively, “I don’t know * NO DOWNPAYMENT *0 A C. how we can make it any closer,” says Ziegler. “Last year we 1 NO PAYMENT FOR 90 DAYS or *N0 INTEREST FOR 90 DAYS (3 equal payments) thought was probably the most competitive year we’d ever seen, but this year is proving us wrong because it looks as if it is going to be our most competitive. “ Everybody still thinks they 4 DAYS ONLY have a chance to win the and I think that’s the way it should be.” The NHL is in the second year of a five-year collective agreement Monday - Thursday, December 28th - 31 st with the NHL Players’ Association. Headed by executive director Al Eagleson, the association has made gains for its members with­ out making outrageous demands that would threaten stability. Ziegler is keenly aware that the O VER $200,000 IN association’s common-sense ap­ proach during less-prosperous times is one reason the NHL is in the sound state it is today. continues as the No. 1 drawing card. It is no coin­ STOCK M UST GO cidence that, since his arrival when the were admitted in 1979, the NHL has out­ stripped most other professional sports in consecutive annual at­ tendance increases. Gretzky won the Hart Memorial SENSATIONAL SAVINGS!! Trophy .an unprecedented eighth straight time in 1987 as the league’s most valuable player and took home the Art Ross Trophy as top point-getter for the seventh U p t o year in a row. More importantly, as he would say, the Oilers won the Stanley Cup for the third time in four years, beating the in one of the most exciting finals in years. Shaken by player-management R eductions disputes since winning the cham­ pionship, the Oilers now have their 5 0 % O FF work cut out to repeat. With all-star defenceman Paul GREAT Coffey gone to Pittsburgh in a sev­ ON SOME FLOOR MODELS en-player deal, and with the Smythe Division-rival , the and the hav­ / S A V IN G S ing such great seasons, the Oilers will need all of Gretzky’s, great­ ness, and more, to win it all next BEDROOM SUITES \ v ik spring. The Canada Cup provided the NHL with a super public relations boost and Pittsburgh’s Mario Le­ KITCKEN SUITES mieux with the platform to prove his greatness. On a line with Gretz­ ky, the two smote the Soviets, with W / k r • DOX SPRIHG Gretzky passing to Lemieux for the winning in the deciding game of a series of three 6-5 scores. DINING ROOM And in February, a team of NHL |M > . & MATTRESS all-stars split a two-game series OIIITPO with the Soviet national team at the highly successful Rendez-Vous ‘87 in Quebec City. • COFFEE TABLES The Canada Cup was a gratify­ ing experience for Edmonton goal­ tender , who also start­ • LIVING ROOM ed in the Rendez-Vous series. His excellence kept Philadelphia net­ • DISHWASHERS minder-Ron Hextall on the end of the bench in the Canada Cup. SUITES Hextall won the Trophy as most valuable playoff • MICROWAVES performer, despite the fact Fuhr and the Oilers had won the Stanley Cup. • STEREOS Hextall is in only his second year in the league, but he’s already • END TABLES established himself as one of its most dynamic personalities. He won the Smythe award; he was handed an eight-game suspension Y O U ’ L L • WASHERS for slashing Edmonton’s Kent Nils­ • RANGES son during the playoffs; and he be­ came the first goalie in NHL histo­ ry to shoot a puck for a goal when • FRIDGES h6 planted a shot into an empty net in a December game against the • TV’S N E V E R B U Y Islanders. Montreal • DRYERS and Detroit defenceman Mike O’Connell are among players who also have received eight-game sus­ pensions, and Flyer hardrock Dave BETTER. EVERYTHING Brown recently was banished for

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