Getting What You Paid For Isn’t the Reality in the NHL

The disclosure of NHL players’ salaries prompted Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Press to do some comparative shopping.

Molinari’s best-buy team:

Center: Pierre Turgeon, Buffalo Sabres, $125,000.

Right wing: Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues, $125,000.

Left wing: Todd Krygier, Hartford Whalers, $110,000.

Defense: Glen Wesley, Boston Bruins, $130,000; Paul Cavallini, St. Louis, $135,000.

Goalie: Daren Puppa, Buffalo, $130,000.

The worst-buy lineup:

Center: Bernie Federko, Detroit Red Wings, $335,000.

Right wing: Vladimir Krutov, Vancouver Canucks, $375,000.

Left wing: Michel Goulet, Quebec Nordiques, $600,000.

Defense: Borje Salming, Detroit, $435,000; Reijo Ruotsalainen, New Jersey Devils, $250,000.

Goalie: Pete Peeters, Philadelphia Flyers, $275,000.

Add NHL: Jack Ferreira, general manager of the Minnesota North Stars, on New York Ranger counterpart Neil Smith’s acquisition of Bernie Nicholls from the Kings: “I know 19 other general managers who wish they would have made the deal that Neil made.”

Trivia time: On Feb. 8, 1964, who won the first men’s Alpine skiing medals for the United States in Olympic competition?

Say good night, Dick: Dick Steinberg, new general manager of the New York Jets, traveled incognito during the closing stages of his six-week search for a new coach.

What was Steinberg’s nom de GM during the search that ended Tuesday with the selection of Bruce Coslet, offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals?

“Dick Martin,” Steinberg said.

What name did Coslet use?

“Dan Rowan,” Steinberg said.

Double indemnity: Former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden on the selection of the Lakers’ A.C. Green to the Western Conference All-Star team instead of the Jazz’s Karl Malone: “An injustice was done when Malone was left off. An even bigger injustice was done because a player who didn’t deserve to be on the team takes the place of someone who deserves to be on it--a Buck Williams, an Xavier McDaniel.”

Without a clue: Coach Don DeVoe’s University of Florida basketball team has lost seven consecutive games since center Dwayne Schintzius was suspended and then quit in a dispute over his hair style.

Said DeVoe of chants of “DeVoe must go” during the Gators’ 83-63 loss to Mississippi at home Saturday: “I would have gone, but they didn’t give me a destination.”

Trivia answer: Billy Kidd, silver, and Jimmy Heuga, bronze, in the slalom.

Quotebook: George Shinn, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, on firing Dick Harter as coach last week an hour after Harter’s brother died of cancer: “I didn’t know he had a brother.”