HOCKEY : U.S. Olympic Team Solid, Not Spectacular

The 1992 U.S. Olympic hockey team does not contain superstars like Pat LaFontaine (‘84) or Brian Leetch (‘88), but should produce players who will be solid contributors to NHL teams after the Games end on Feb. 23.

It will be hard for the ’92 team to top the ’88 squad, which had Craig Janney, Kevin Miller, Leetch, Tony Granato, Stephen Leach, Kevin Stevens, Dave Snuggerud, Jeff Norton, Eric Weinrich, Chris Terreri and Mike Richter. “That roster was loaded,” New York Rangers’ scout David McNab said.

Still, the ’92 club does have good pro prospects. “The top forwards are offensive forwards and the top defensemen are offensive defensemen,” McNab said. “They’ll be able to score.” Such a jolt will be welcomed by NHL teams at the end of the season.

Of the top 12 prospects, nine played college hockey in Massachusetts. “It doesn’t feel like you’ve made the Olympic team,” said Shawn McEachern, a Boston University product. “It feels more like you made Team Massachusetts.”

The Bruins figure to benefit most from an influx of Olympians. Their top-three prospects are Team Canada’s Joe Juneau, a four-year center at RPI, and Team USA’s Steve Heinze and Ted Donato.

Heinze is a two-way right winger from Boston College who goes to the net and makes plays. Donato is a small center from Harvard with great hands who makes tough plays, is smart and looks good on power plays.

With help from McNab, Bruins’ New England scout Joe Lyons and Devils’ player personnel director Marshall Johnston, here is a look at Team USA’s other prospects:

McEachern: Has breakaway speed. A sniper from Boston University. Linemates last year were Tony Amonte and Keith Tkachuk. Will play on Detroit Penguins’ fourth line.

Tkachuk: Missed most of senior year in high school with knee injury, but played well as BU freshman. Big, tough, strong left winger. Should play immediately in Winnipeg.

Bill Guerin: Improving offensively. Fast, strong. Played two years at BC. Perfect for rough-and-tumble Patrick Division and New Jersey Devils.

Scott Lachance: Complete player. Can move puck up or carry it out. Good size, good skater, good hands. Turned 19 Tuesday. Had impressive freshman year at BU. Is sidelined after knee surgery. New York Islanders will bring him along slowly.

Joe Sacco: Had five essists in 20 games with Maple Leafs last year after good junior year at BU. Scored 35 points in 49 AHL games. Aggressive, fast.

Brett Hedican: One of most-improved players in college in junior year at St. Cloud State. Outstanding skater. Carries puck well. Should fit in among St. Louis Blues’ top six defensemen.

Dan Keczmer: Went from Minnesota to San Jose in dispersal draft and had rights traded to Hartford. Played four years at Lake Superior State, nine games last year with North Stars and 60 in IHL. Similar to Hedican. Scouts wonder if he can handle the physical part of the game.

Ted Drury: Might return to Harvard for junior year. Good all-around player. Smart. Works hard. Calgary will be tough place to play.

Keith Carney: Team USA’s most-talented offensive defenseman. Good power-play guy. Big, strong, smart. Strictly offensive. Gambles. A specialty guy, set-up man from University of Maine. Signed by Buffalo.

Ted Crowley: Team USA’s power-play right pointman from BC. Has big shot; will score with it. Might not play right away in Toronto.

Also on Team USA’s roster are: Los Angeles Kings’ goalie Robb Stauber, recuperating after knee surgery; Devils’ center David Emma, last year’s college player of the year at BC; Islanders’ center Marty McInnis from BC, and Devils’ right wing C.J. Young, a four-year player at Harvard.

The Vancouver Canucks, off to the best start in their history, hope a judge this Wednesday invalidates the Soviet contract of winger Pavel Bure. If that happens, under NHL rules governing defectors, Vancouver has 14 days to sign Bure, 20, its sixth-round 1990 draft pick, or he becomes a free agent. Bure had 35 goals in 46 games last season. Vancouver hopes the judge does not order a trial in his case.

Buffalo Sabres’ insiders say it is a matter of time before General Manager Gerry Meehan makes a major trade, possibly involving the Islanders’ Pat LaFontaine. Tension mounted in Buffalo last week after benched Benoit Hogue told a television audience he wants out and said the team does not want to play for coach Rick Dudley.

That came after a Buffalo News article in which unnamed Sabres said Soviet winger Alexander Mogilny, earning $140,000, is conducting a work slowdown by loafing through games. The team has agreed to renegotiate his contract but Mogilny fired his agent Don Meehan.

NHL Players’ Association director of operations Sam Simpson said 107 players filed for arbitration this year, far above last year’s figure of 41. Simpson said uncertainty about possible new free agency rules and availability of salary data has led to more players playing out options. Only players in their option year may file for arbitration.

Last year, nine cases came to a hearing. This year, Simpson said, 42 cases were settled without a hearing and 63 are pending. Two decisions have been rendered: Hartford defenseman Randy Ladouceur got $275,000 and Minnesota center Bobby Smith $550,000.

In NHL arbitration cases, the player and management each submit a salary request with data to support it to one of three arbitrators. After a hearing, the arbitrator may accept either figure or give the player a sum in between.

Around the NHL: New contracts: Montreal RWs Russ Courtnall, 4 years, $3.3 million, and Todd Ewen, 2 years, $500,000; Hartford D Zarley Zalapski, 2 years, $900,000; Devils’ D Scott Niedermayer, 3 years, $950,000 & RW Claude Lemieux, 4 years, $2 million; Los Angeles LW Tomas Sandstrom, 3 years, $2.55 million.

Minnesota D Mark Tinordi is suffering from “palsy foot,” a numbness in a foot, stemming from being hit behind a knee by a puck in an Oct. 15 game. He has not skated since and is out indefinitely.