THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : It’s a Mix That Could End Their Fix

Coach Barry Melrose of the Kings wants some big forwards, which the Mighty Ducks have in abundance. He needs a steady defense, like the Ducks’ defensive corps, and a strategy for winning on the road, the Ducks’ strong point.

General Manager Jack Ferreira of the Ducks wants a 40-goal scorer, a commodity the Kings are so blessed with they hardly use Jimmy Carson, who has had seasons of 55 and 49 goals and three of more than 30. Ferreira likes clean-cut players who represent the club well, as many Kings do with charity work, and he could use a dash of glamour, which Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille and others lend with their Hollywood connections.

Hmmm.

Combine Southern California’s teams and the result would be formidable. We’re not talking trades here, but a blend of each team’s best. Call them the Mighty Kings. Sounds better than Duckings, anyway.

In goal, let’s take Kelly Hrudey, based on experience. Ron Tugnutt and Guy Hebert are worthy backups. On defense, we want the Kings’ Rob Blake and Alex Zhitnik and as a spare, Darryl Sydor. In tight defensive situations, we’d use the Ducks’ Bobby Dollas and Randy Ladouceur. Take Alexei Kasatonov and Bill Houlder to play the points on the second power-play unit, and we’re set.

Up front, we want the Kings’ Gretzky, Robitaille and Jari Kurri for scoring and Pat Conacher for faceoffs and penalty-killing. Add right wing Tony Granato for energy and left wing Mike Donnelly for speed. The Ducks’ Terry Yake would be a nifty second-line center, right wing Todd Ewen supplies toughness, and if center Anatoli Semenov is healthy, we’ll take him and left wings Garry Valk and Tim Sweeney. Also, let’s add the Kings’ Dave Taylor, because this team would contend for the Stanley Cup and Taylor deserves another chance at it.

Melrose would coach the forwards, the Ducks’ Ron Wilson the defense. The general manager would be Ferreira, who has built a surprisingly competitive team in little time and on a low budget.

Home for this team? Anaheim, so King owner Bruce McNall wouldn’t have to sell his team--or his soul--to finance a new arena. All mascots would be banished, as would that annoying song, “Rock the Pond.” Play some neutral-site games at the Forum, and everybody would be happy.

VETERANS’ DAY

Each team in the Jan. 22 All-Star game will add one veteran player at the discretion of Commissioner Gary Bettman, a classy way to recognize a player who might not be having an All-Star season but is near the end of a distinguished career. Brad Marsh of Ottawa and Randy Carlyle of Winnipeg were last year’s picks.

This year’s honorees are supposed to be a secret, but guessing Dave Taylor as the Western Conference selection would be a good start.

HE SHOOTS, HE DOESN’T SCORE

Last season, only two goaltenders who played at least 25 games--enough to qualify for the goals-against title--had averages of less than 3.0. This season, 20 goalies who have played 10 games or more were averaging less than 3.0 through Sunday, five were under 2.50, and Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek was at 1.78. Goal scoring was at its lowest pace in 15 years, at an average of 6.6 a game.

Are goalies more skillful, or are scorers losing their touch?

“Goalies are better, for sure, and they’re getting better at younger ages,” said former NHL goalie John Davidson, analyst on the New York Rangers’ telecasts, who will also work on CBS’ Olympic coverage at Lillehammer, Norway. “Two decades ago, no goalie was getting into the NHL until he was in his late 20s, and he didn’t get good until he was in his 30s. Now, they’re coming into the league younger.

“Also, the coaching this season is the best it’s ever been. There are some good, young coaches in the league who have their teams playing well defensively, which helps the goalies. Look at the Sharks, with Kevin Constantine, or Ron Wilson in Anaheim.”

Davidson also cited the prolonged absences of Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Pat LaFontaine, Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny. “These major injuries have been all over the place, and that has to contribute to it,” Davidson said.

TALK ISN’T CHEAP

Bob Goodenow, executive director of the NHL Players Assn., has met with Bettman twice this month to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement. That’s the good news. The worrisome news is there’s a ton of ill will generated by court cases in which one has unleashed its lawyers on the other.

The league’s latest action was to ask a New York federal court to prevent the association from profiting when jerseys are sold with players’ names on them. The NHLPA contends that it should receive royalties when names are on the jerseys because it owns the rights to players’ names. The NHL currently receives royalties from jerseys sold with team logos.

STRETCH THOSE LEGS

After pouting over the end of their business-class travel privileges and mumbling about another strike, referees and linesmen reached a compromise with the NHL. They will be allowed some business-class seats on flights and some executive-class flights on Air Canada, but they will sometimes travel coach.

If they wanted business-class travel, they should have stipulated that before accepting their new contract. Expecting old handshake deals to be honored is foolish with the tough-talking Bettman in charge.

Also, a compromise was reached on the officials’ complaints about retroactive pay. So everything is back to normal--as normal as the NHL gets.

SLAP SHOTS

Rookie center Derek Plante is expected to tell Buffalo management this weekend whether he will exercise a clause in his contract that allows him to play for the U.S. Olympic team. He has 12 goals and 22 points in 30 games. . . . Gordie Howe’s 65th birthday tour, which ended last week, raised more than $1 million for charity.

How bad a season is Vancouver right wing Pavel Bure enduring? Bure, who scored 94 goals the previous two seasons, has 14 this season--only three more than his muscleman teammate, Gino Odjick, who started the season with career totals of 15 goals and 1,014 penalty minutes. . . . Sergei Fedorov will be worth the $11.7 million Detroit agreed to pay him over four years. He rivals Gretzky in his puck-handling and quickness. . . . A 6-0-1 streak has brought the Islanders to .500 for the first time.

San Jose’s offense, the NHL’s weakest (90 goals in 37 games) is to blame for the Sharks’ 0-7-1 slide. . . . Toronto’s Dave Andreychuk has 13 goals in his last 12 games, including six on the power play. . . . Florida’s playoff hopes are alive because of a 5-1-2 surge. . . . Sabre goalie Grant Fuhr had fragments removed from beneath his left kneecap last week. Fuhr, who last played on Nov. 24, is expected to be out two to three more weeks.