NHL PREVIEW : Once Again, It Looks Like a Race for Second Spot Behind the Oilers

The morning after Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers had won their second straight Stanley Cup on May 30, radio stations in Edmonton kept playing the same song, “Best in the NHL.” It was sung to the melody of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.”

The Oilers got to keep the cup by winning four straight from the Philadelphia Flyers after having lost the opening game of the final series in Philadelphia.

“We’re the absolutely best team in the world,” Edmonton Coach Glen (Slats) Sather crowed. “We’ll play anyone who wants to play us.”

The National Hockey League will open its 1985-86 season Thursday, and Sather’s boast may still be viable. The Oilers still look like the NHL’s best team.

The Oilers breezed through the playoffs last season after a tough first-round series against the Kings. They won 16 consecutive home playoff games, setting a Stanley Cup record in the process. Their cup-clinching 8-3 victory over the Flyers was the largest margin of victory ever in a title game.

The Oilers, perhaps the most cordially disliked team in the NHL, apparently thought they had something to prove last season.

“We have a reputation for being a little arrogant and a little cocky,” Gretzky said. “And because of that, we haven’t gotten the recognition we deserve. We wanted to win a second cup to show people that we’re not a flash in the pan.”

The Oilers, with an average age of 25.4, are still a young team. Gretzky, who has won five straight Art Ross Trophies as the league’s leading scorer, and six consecutive Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, is only 24.

During the off-season the NHL even passed a rule aimed at Gretzky. Teams now will remain at full strength during coincidental minor penalties, whereas previously they skated one man short. Some coaches had argued that the Oilers tried to create four-on-four situations, for Gretzky excels at them.

Gretzky is bitter about the rule.

Goalie Grant Fuhr, who won 15 playoff games last season, tying a league record held by Billy Smith of the New York Islanders, turned 23 last month. Right wing Jari Kurri, who finished second in the league-scoring race behind Gretzky, is 25. Paul Coffey, who won the Norris Trophy for best defenseman, is 24.

The Oilers may be without left wing Dave Hunter, who was recently convicted of drunken driving for a third time. He is due to be sentenced next month.

If there’s little doubt that the Oilers are the best team in hockey, there’s equally little doubt that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the worst. The joke in Canada goes: “What do the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays have in common? Neither team can play hockey.” There’s some debate, however, as to the second-best team.

The Flyers, who were the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 24.5 and had 12 players with less than two years’ experience, not to forget a rookie coach and general manager, weren’t even picked to win the Patrick Division title last season.

But tough-guy Coach Mike Keenan led his players to the best record in the regular season with 113 points.

It remains to be seen, however, whether goalie Pelle Lindbergh can match his performance of last year, which earned him the Vezina Trophy.

The Washington Capitals led the Patrick Division for much of the season until the Flyers overtook them. Even so, the Capitals still finished with the third-best record in the league. They have two 50-goal scorers in right wing Mike Gartner and young American center Bobby Carpenter. But they may need a high-scoring forward and more consistent goaltending from Pat Riggin to be a real contender this season.

The Winnipeg Jets were another major surprise last season. The Jets had been a perennial doormat after leaving the now-defunct World Hockey League to join the NHL. But General Manager John Ferguson, who insiders say calls all the shots at Winnipeg, has turned the Jets into one of the best teams.

Ferguson was even in the bidding for Guy Lafleur, retired star of the Montreal Canadiens who is considering a comeback. Ferguson dropped out of the bidding, however, when Lafleur was reported to be seeking a three-year contract, a salary in excess of the $400,000 he was making, and a signing bonus.

Lafleur has reportedly given the Canadiens a list of teams that he would like to be traded to, among them the Kings, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks.

The Jets finished with the fourth-best record in the NHL last season, and some people think that the Jets’Dale Hawerchuk is the second-best center in the game, behind Gretzky. Hawerchuk finished third in scoring last season, behind Gretzky and Kurri. The Jets have signed Hawerchuk to a lifetime, multimillion-dollar contract.

General Manager Bob Pulford of the Chicago Black Hawks did such a good job of coaching after he took over when Orval Tessier was fired last February, that he was asked to remain behind the bench this season.

Pulford, a former King coach, took the Black Hawks to the Campbell Conference final last season, and the Black Hawks split the first four games with the Oilers before Edmonton came back to win the series. Pulford has named Roger Neilson, former Vancouver and King coach, as his co-coach.

The New York Islanders, who were eliminated by the Flyers in the second round of the playoffs last season, are rebuilding after having won four straight Stanley Cups before Edmonton won in 1984.

Islander Coach Al Arbour, who had considered quitting, decided to return because he likes the challenge.

The Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres, could be dark horse teams. But the Flames, who finished in third place with 94 points in the tough Smythe Division last season behind Edmonton and Winnipeg, must replace the 99 points they lost when they traded Kent Nilsson to Minnesota.

It has been popular for the last couple of years to pick the Buffalo Sabres as a dark horse team, but they have fallen flat on their face in the playoffs. The Sabres have been eliminated in the first round for the last two seasons. They blew a two-goal lead in the final playoff game against Quebec last season and lost.

General Manager-Coach Scotty Bowman resigned as coach at the end of the season and promoted Jim Schoenfeld, 33, a former Sabre defenseman who coached the Sabres’ farm team at Rochester, N.Y., last season. Schoenfeld is one of eight new or moved coaches in the league.

The Vancouver Canucks, who finished last in the Smythe Division, fired General Manager-Coach Harry Neale. After a lengthy search for a new coach, during which Dave King, Canadian Olympic coach, turned down the job, the Canucks finally hired Tom Watt, former coach of the Jets and the NHL Coach of the Year in 1982-83.

Neale is now the coach at Detroit, where he replaced Nick Polano, who became assistant general manager.

Former King star Butch Goring, who was a player-assistant coach while he was with the New York Islanders, is the new coach of the Boston Bruins.

Nearly everyone figured that Herb Brooks would be hired to coach the Minnesota North Stars after he left the New York Rangers last season. But Brooks couldn’t agree on a contract with North Star General Manager Lou Nanne and the North Stars hired Lorne Henning. Henning, 33, coached the North Stars’ farm team in Springfield, Mass., last season.

Montreal Coach Jacques Lemaire resigned in a surprise move last summer after having led the Canadiens to the Adams Division title. Lemaire said he didn’t like the pressure he was under to live up to the Canadiens’ big tradition. He has been replaced by assistant coach Jean Perron.

The New York Rangers, who finished fourth in the Patrick Division with just 62 points last season, hired Philadelphia Flyer assistant Ted Sator.

Here is a closer look at the divisional races.

SMYTHE DIVISION

The Smythe Division has gone from being one of the worst divisions in the NHL to perhaps the toughest.

Consider that last season, four of the five teams in the Smythe finished among the the top 11 in the league.

Edmonton Oilers--The Oilers got off to a great start last season and had the title wrapped up by January. They finished 13 points ahead of Winnipeg. The race may be closer this season, but the Oilers still figure to win it.

Sather, who said he might quit as coach after winning the Stanley Cup, has decided to remain behind the bench, but he has promoted assistant coach John Muckler to co-coach.

Gretzky, who has refused to lift weights in the past--”I’ve never seen a barbell score a goal”--went on an big weight program during the summer, lifting weights three times a week. Why the change of heart? Gretzky, 6 feet and 170 pounds, said that he noticed that players coming into the league are getting bigger.

Winnipeg Jets--Coach Barry Long, a former King, and Ferguson worked wonders in Winnipeg last season.

The Jets had six players with 30 goals or more apiece last season, including Hawerchuk, centers Thomas Steen and Laurie Boschman and right wings Paul MacLean, Brian Mullen and Doug Smail.

Calgary Flames--The Flames have a lot of question marks since dealing away Nilsson.

Nilsson had a reputation for not working hard, but he scored 99 points last season.

Right wing Hakan Loob, who had 37 goals last season, and defenseman Paul Reinhart, who had 23, are both questionable with back injuries. Two years ago, Reinhart missed most of the season with aback injury.

Right wing Lanny McDonald, who missed almost half of last season because of injuries, suffered a broken right thumb in a fight during an exhibition game in Vancouver last Sunday. The thumb is in a fiberglass cast.

The Flames still need a backup for goalie Reggie Lemelin. They’ll start the season with two rookie goalies to back up Lemelin, rookies Mike Vernon and Marc D’Amour.

Los Angeles Kings--The Kings came up with a breakthrough season under new Coach Pat Quinn last season.

They made the playoffs and gave Edmonton all it could handle in the first round. Although the Oilers swept the series in three games, two of them went to overtime.

During training camp, Quinn talked about challenging the Jets and Flames for second place.

The key may be getting off to a good start. Last season, the Kings were winless in their first nine games, going 0-6-3.

They will open the season with six rookies--defensemen Ken Hammond and Dean Kennedy, centers Brian Wilks and Dave Gans, and left wings Lyle Phair and Dan Brennan.

There also are five Kings with just one year of experience, among them goalies Bob Janecyk and Darren Eliot.

Center Marcel Dionne, 34, is coming off one of his best seasons. He finished fourth in the league scoring race. Center Bernie Nicholls also had a good season, scoring 46 goals.

Vancouver Canucks--It’s hard to believe, but the Canucks went to the Stanley Cup final in 1982.

They are a joke in Vancouver now, however, with fans coming to games wearing paper bags over their heads.

Perhaps the biggest mistake the Canucks made last season was hiring coach Bill LaForge, who didn’t even make it halfway through the season before he was fired.

Watt, the new coach, has his work cut out for him. The first step will be improving the defense. The Canucks gave up 401 goals last season, tops in the NHL.

NORRIS DIVISION

This was the worst division in the NHL last season, and things don’t figure to change this season.

Chicago Black Hawks--After finishing second behind the St. Louis Blues last season, the Black Hawks came within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup final.

The Black Hawks will need another big season out of center Denis Savard, who had 105 points last season.

Minnesota North Stars--The North Stars were faced with a rebellion by season-ticket holders after failing to sign native son Brooks to coach the team. Nanne reportedly contacted season-ticket holders personally, urging them to renew.

What the North Stars need to quiet the fans now is to get off to a fast start.

The North Stars’ dropped from 88 points in 1984 to 62 last season because their top scorers--Neal Broten, Steve Payne and Brian Bellows--didn’t have good seasons.

Nilsson should take up some of the slack, and the North Stars are also counting heavily on Dino Ciccarelli.

Detroit Red Wings--Owner Mike Ilitch, who made his fortune selling pizza, is spending it by signing free agents.

First the Red Wings signed free agent Warren Young of the Pittsburgh Penguins to a million-dollar contract. Young, a 29-year-old rookie, scored 40 goals last season while playing on a line with Mario Lemieux.

Next, the Red Wings gave Adam Oates, a 22-year-old center who helped lead Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N.Y., to the NCAA title last season, a million-dollar contract.

St. Louis Blues--They won the Norris title almost by default last season but they self-destructed in the playoffs against Minnesota.

Coach Jacques Demers may be a good motivator, but his team doesn’t have much depth and the defense could use some work.

Toronto Maple Leafs--The Maple Leafs used to dominate the sports pages in Toronto, but with the success of the Blue Jays in baseball, they have become No. 2.

Still, that’s better than where they’ll probably finished this season, 21st in the 21-team NHL.

Maple Leaf home games are still sold out this season, though, and there still will be scalpers outside Maple Leaf Gardens.

PATRICK DIVISION

Philadelphia Flyers--Keenan came straight out of the University of Toronto and was named NHL coach of the year after leading the Flyers to the league’s best record and the Stanley Cup final.

Keenan’s Flyers are still young enough to improve. At 30, Mark Howe is the oldest Flyer.

Tim Kerr, who scored 54 goals last season, and left wing Brian Propp, who had 43, are the offensive keys, and Lindbergh is the defensive mainstay.

Washington Capitals--They had a great season with 101 points but faded at the end.

The Capitals got big seasons from Mike Gartner with 50 goals and Bobby Carpenter with 53, but they need one more high-scoring forward to get over the hump.

New York Islanders--Who could have figured that the Islanders would finish with just 86 points last season and get blown out in the second round of the playoffs by the Flyers?

Mike Bossy, who scored 58 goals last season, is still going strong, but the Islanders will be a team in transition.

Arbour will be counting heavily on youngsters like Pat LaFontaine to build upon.

New York Rangers--Herb Brooks is selling rings in Minnesota instead of coaching in Madison Square Garden, and Ted Sator is trying to lead the Rangers back to their glory days.

Last season the Rangers were hit hard by injuries. Barry Beck, who had shoulder surgery, appears to have recovered, but Sator said he’ll be overjoyed if the team can play .500 hockey.

The Rangers are also counting heavily on Tomas Sandstrom, who scored 29 goals last season.

New Jersey Devils--The Devils, who gave up 346 goals last season, are counting heavily on defenseman Craig Wolanin, the third player picked in the draft last summer.

The Devils still appear to be another couple of years away from making the playoffs, though, even with goalie Chico Resch, 37, who was recently signed for one more year.

Pittsburgh Penguins--The good news for Penguin fans is that the team did not move to Hamilton, Ontario, during the off-season. The bad news is that the Penguins are still lousy. Last year they gave up 385 goals, second-most in the league.

Mario Lemieux, rookie of the year who scored 100 points, lost Young, his high-scoring wing, but the Penguins drafted Michigan State All-American center Craig Simpson, who may help right away.

ADAMS DIVISION

Quebec Nordiques--The Nordiques came close to reaching the Stanley Cup final last season, losing to the Flyers in the Wales Conference final.

Center Peter Stastny and left wing Michel Goulet make the Nordiques one of the most exciting teams in the game.

Buffalo Sabres--They were an up-and-coming team after making the Stanley Cup final in 1975, but the Sabres haven’t been able to make the final again.

Bowman stepped down as coach and Schoenfeld was hired to direct the team.

Goalie Tom Barrasso, who was sent down to the minors briefly last season, is the key to the Sabres.

Montreal Canadiens--The Canadiens used to be a team dominated by French-Canadians, but they’re now using more and more Americans.

Defenseman Chris Chelios could be their next big star. Petr Svoboda, an 18-year-old defenseman, also looked good last season.

If goalie Steve Penney can match his playoff performance of two years ago, the Canadiens should contend for the division title.

Boston Bruins--Goring is counting on goalie Pete Peeters and Barry Pederson to help the Bruins improve this season.

Peeters has had two off-seasons since winning the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie in 1983.

Pederson missed all but 22 games last season because of arm surgery. The Bruins need 100 points from a healthy Pederson is they are going to finish better than fourth this season.

Goring said that left wing Charlie Simmer, acquired from the Kings last season, has been one of the best players in training camp.

Hartford Whalers--The Whalers are coming off their best season, 69 points, but they still don’t figure to make the playoffs this season.

They are looking for a big season from goalie Mike Liut, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues for Greg Millen and Mark Johnson last season.