THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : At Chicago Stadium, Only the Silence Will Be Deafening

In the landscape of memory, Pat Stapleton and Bill White are jumping over the boards to replace Keith Magnuson and Doug Jarrett, whose gritty defensive work set the crowd roaring and made Chicago Stadium vibrate.

Other times, the image is of Bobby Hull skating up the left wing and blasting a slap shot toward a hapless goalie as the fans gasp. Or it’s Doug Wilson, curly hair unconfined by a helmet, shooting from the right point, Denis Savard performing his spin move and leaving defenders red-faced, or Tony Esposito flopping and flailing but somehow keeping the puck out of the Blackhawks’ net.

Chicago Stadium will be torn down after this season, the victim of owner Bill Wirtz’s lust for luxury boxes. The magnificent organ will go with it--the pipes of the 400-key, 32-pedal instrument are built into the walls and can’t be moved--but the sights, smells and sounds will survive in memory.

Is there an arena or stadium that’s noisier during the national anthem? No airport runway was ever louder than the Stadium during the anthem at the 1991 All-Star game, at the height of the Gulf War. Is there an arena where the hot dogs smell so delicious? Where else do the seats become a pulsating red sea, climbing to a roof that seems ready to fly off into the cold Chicago night?

At some point, we count the landmarks that have disappeared from our lives, whether it’s the house we grew up in or the stadium where the wonders of a sport unfolded before our wide-open eyes. To exit the Dan Ryan Expressway at 35th Street and not see Comiskey Park on the right side is still a jolt; to see a parking lot at 1800 West Madison will hurt even more, because it will be the final confirmation that greed triumphs over sentiment in the adult world.

SCOUTS’ HONOR

There were few surprises among the Central Scouting Bureau’s rankings of prospects in the June entry draft, which is considered moderately deep.

“This year’s draft is a good draft, though it might not be quite as good as last year’s,” said Frank Bonello, director of Central Scouting.

Radek Bonk, who left Czechoslovakia to play for Las Vegas of the International Hockey League, was ranked first among North American players; Russian defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky was the top European, and Jamie Storr, who played on Canada’s championship team at the world junior tournament, was the No. 1 goalie. Storr plays for Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League.

The fastest-rising star is Ed Jovanovski, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound defenseman with Windsor of the OHL. He was ranked third, after having been lightly regarded in preseason reports. The fastest plunge was taken by Jason Bonsignore of Rochester, N.Y., and the University of Michigan. He was a preseason favorite but so-so play dropped him to seventh on the mid-term list.

Brett Lindros, younger brother of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Eric Lindros, was ranked 11th. He might have been higher but for a knee injury that probably will prevent him from playing for Canada in the Olympics.

CROSSING A LINE

NHL Senior Vice President Brian Burke suspended St. Louis defenseman Rick Zombo and scheduled a hearing Monday after seeing a tape of Zombo’s slash and cross-check of linesman Kevin Collins Jan. 9.

Yet neither referee Rob Shick nor Collins thought Zombo’s actions worth even a minor penalty. Is it reading too much between the lines (men) to suggest they were returning a favor, that favor being players’ support of on-ice officials during their walkout earlier this season.

The incidents occurred after Zombo had collided with Collins midway through the third period of the Blues’ game against Dallas. Zombo was taken out of the play, leaving Mike McPhee free to score the winning goal.

As McPhee skated unimpeded toward the net, Zombo slashed the back of Collins’ leg. After McPhee had scored, Zombo veered toward Collins instead of going to the bench and hit the linesman from behind with a two-handed swat.

Said Collins: “Zombo is not that kind of player. He’s always been a classy guy. I had a little talk with him after the game, but I don’t think (either incident) warranted a penalty.”

Burke disagreed. “I view it as a serious incident,” he said. “I’m at a loss to explain why Rule 67 (concerning physical abuse of officials) wasn’t applied.”

THREE OF A KIND

Chris Kontos never realized the promise that made him a first-round draft pick in 1982. Paul Kariya’s promise is so rich, the Mighty Ducks will build their franchise around him--if he signs. Petr Nedved showed immense promise with Vancouver last season, scoring 40 goals and 76 points, but he’s sitting out the season because of a contract dispute and is awaiting a trade.

The three form Team Canada’s top line leading up to the Olympics. Nedved has 23 points in 10 games, Kariya 29 points in 18 games and Kontos 24 in 27 games.

“I love to play with those two players because they understand the game so well,” Nedved said. “Paul is such a good passer. He’d rather pass than score a goal, which is great with us because we like to score goals. He’s a good passer and Chris Kontos has got so much experience in the NHL. You put three players together who understand the game so well, it’s not a surprise they would succeed.”

For Kariya, that success reaffirms his decision in joining Team Canada instead of signing with the Ducks after the draft.

“It’s been terrific for me, playing with two great NHL players. They see the ice real well,” he said. “I like to pass, so it’s great. I’ll shoot if the opportunity is there, but they know where to go when I pass to them. . . .

“I got a semester in at school (the University of Maine) and I was able to continue going forward on my degree. I’ve also enjoyed the month I’ve had here. I won’t be thinking about what happens later until after the last game of the Olympics. I’m trying to focus on what I have to do now to win games.”

SLAP SHOTS

No major issues are on the agenda for the Board of Governors’ meeting before Saturday’s All-Star game. The league is reviewing Bruce McNall’s sale of an unspecified interest in the Kings, so no vote will be taken. “The documents outweigh Riddick Bowe,” an NHL source said. . . . One item to be settled is whether players such as Toronto’s Glenn Anderson will have to clear waivers before joining their countries’ Olympic teams. The U.S. team won’t add anyone, but Canadian Coach Tom Renney is seeking offensive help.

Detroit Coach Scotty Bowman and defenseman Paul Coffey are getting along better since Coffey picked up his defensive play. . . . Calgary center Ted Drury, who suffered a broken left kneecap in December, resumed skating last week and might be able to play for the U.S. Olympic team.