The NHL / Chris Baker : Best Power-Play Rating Pays Off for the Kings

The Kings may not win the Stanley Cup, but they have already won $125,000 from Stroh’s brewery for having the best power-play rating in the National Hockey League this season.

The Stroh’s ratings are based on power-play goals scored and allowed, and short-handed goals.

The Kings won $25,000 for having the best power-play rating in the Smythe Division and another $100,000 for having the best in the league.

The money will be divided among the 25 players, the coaches, trainers, broadcasters and other team officials.

The Kings will also get a nice trophy, which may make up for the cheap-looking trophies handed out at the team’s awards ceremony at last Saturday’s final regular-season game against the Vancouver Canucks.

Players and team officials alike complained that the trophies were inferior to the ones awarded in previous years.

The problem, according to team publicist Larry Rosof, who bought them, was that he ordered them sight unseen because he was pressed for time.

The Vancouver Canucks made a $2-million profit from the sale of their team jet to a Miami-based charter airline.

The sale of the plane, however, created travel problems for the team in the last month of the regular season.

The Canucks played the Kings last Friday night in Vancouver and then had to leave early the next morning for the rematch in Los Angeles.

The team had to be divided into three groups for the trip because of crowded planes during the Easter holiday.

A Toronto newspaper reported that--surprise!--Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers is the highest-paid player in hockey at a salary of $825,000 a season, in U.S. dollars.

Gretzky also has an option from Oiler owner Peter Pocklington to take ownership of two apartment buildings in Yellowknife, Canada, in 1987. The buildings are guaranteed to be worth $1 million.

Others reportedly in the top 10:

Mike Bossy, New York Islanders, $610,000; Marcel Dionne, Kings, $475,000; Bryan Trottier, Islanders, $475,000; Dave Taylor, Kings, $450,000; Mike Liut, Hartford Whalers, $437,500; Denis Potvin, Islanders, $425,000; Barry Beck, New York Rangers, $385,000; Brad Park, Detroit Red Wings, $380,000; 10. Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres, $375,000.

Park also has the option to open two Little Caesars pizza restaurants in Boston from Red Wing owner Michael Ilitch, who also owns the restaurant chain.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have the top choice in the NHL draft next June after finishing with the worst record in the league.

The Maple Leafs are considering three players--wing Jim Sandiak of the London, Ontario, Knights; defenseman-forward Wendel Clark of the Saskatoon Blades, and center Craig Simpson of Michigan State.

Simpson, a Canadian citizen, may decide to pass up the draft to join the Canadian Olympic program for the 1988 Games at Calgary.