THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : In Fighting the Good Fight, League Still Has Punch Line

For all the traditionalists, all the Don Cherry fans who predicted that the NHL would become soft under an American commissioner, fear not.

Fighting is actually on the rise this season, judging from the 41% increase in major fighting penalties assessed through Sunday. In 651 games, 1,056 fighting majors had been handed out, contrasted with 747 fighting majors in 651 games last season. That should keep all the makers of fight tapes in business and delight Cherry, the acerbic TV analyst who proclaimed that the NHL was on the verge of becoming a pacifists’ paradise.

NHL executives say the new numbers reflect increased competitiveness. Divisional rivalries always fostered rough stuff, but conference rankings now determine playoff seedings instead of division standings. There are more intraconference games than intradivision games, providing more opportunities for fisticuffs.

“I think it’s because of the conference format, and I think it should level off as teams establish those turf battles,” said Brian Burke, NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations. “If it doesn’t, then we have to find out what the reason is.”

Commissioner Gary Bettman said his priority is to eliminate “extracurriculars,” such as head-butts, checks from behind and dangerous stickwork, through supplementary discipline--meaning suspensions--before he deals with fighting.

“We had eight suspensions in October, eight in November, three in December and two in January, one of which (Rick Zombo’s slash of Kevin Collins) could have been a rulebook suspension,” Bettman said. “At this particular point in time we’re not focused on that (fighting) issue. At some point we’ll study it, because at some point we’re going to study everything.”

That study would find players opposed to a ban on fighting. “I don’t think you can ever take it out of the game,” Detroit defenseman Paul Coffey said. “It’s probably not as premeditated as in the past. You’ll see a couple of guys fight for 30 seconds and it’s over. If you talk to a lot of players, you’ll find they’ll take a punch in the head over a stick in the face or stick in the groin.”

STANDARDS, PLEASE

We can live with flying ducks making hokey entrances at Anaheim Arena and with Harvey the Hound, the Calgary Flames’ mascot, doing a mock striptease by hiking up his costume pants and twirling his dog collar in the air.

But sumo hockey, that’s time to draw the line.

A new intermission show around the NHL features two contestants, dressed like the Michelin tire man and wearing sumo wrestler headgear, “playing” hockey. With their bulk, all they do is slip-slide along the ice as they shoot the puck into nets set against the side boards. When they fall, they struggle like turtles to get up. All this for the glory of a certain beer.

Yes, fans deserve to be entertained all night when they shell out big bucks for tickets. But there must be something better than that .

CAPITAL OFFENSES

They tried Bryan Murray. They tried his brother, Terry Murray. And still the Washington Capitals can’t get past the early rounds of the playoffs.

They passed up Winnipeg assistant Andy Murray (no relation) when they fired Terry Murray and lured Jim Schoenfeld out of the ESPN booth to coach. Washington hasn’t missed the playoffs since 1982, but would be an outsider if the season were to end today.

Schoenfeld, a fiery leader in Buffalo and New Jersey, has an emotional spark the listless Capitals need. The key is whether he has learned to temper his impatience, which undermined his stay with the Devils and led to his firing 14 games into the 1989-90 season. Even if he succeeds, it might be too late to save General Manager David Poile, whose contract is up at season’s end.

Schoenfeld’s return is likely to increase sales of diet programs among referees. Remember, Schoenfeld earned hockey immortality during the 1988 playoffs when he screamed at Don Koharski, “Have another doughnut, you fat pig.” You’ve got to love a guy who finds that the worst thing he can say.

HOLD THAT MIKE

Schoenfeld joins a parade of broadcasters leaving studios and press tables to coach. Pat Riley of the New York Knicks, Quinn Buckner of the Dallas Mavericks and Mike Fratello of the Cleveland Cavaliers made the jump in the NBA. The NHL’s list includes Jacques Demers, who did radio work between leaving the Red Wings in 1990 and joining the Montreal Canadiens in ‘92; and Mike Keenan, who was a radio and TV analyst between jobs with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.

TIP OF THE SALARY CAP

League officials were furious when the NHL Players Assn. spread word it had rejected a collective bargaining proposal that involved a salary cap. As the league saw it, that violated an agreement to avoid commenting on talks. It won’t help the tone of negotiations, which resume today.

The association is adamant about rejecting any form of cap, but Bettman is expected to press for it, and the possibility of a player strike increases with every verbal salvo. So does the pessimism of Ranger fans, who figure that since the only thing that can keep them from winning the Stanley Cup is a strike, a strike is sure to be called. Two years ago, the Rangers finished first overall but were thrown off stride by a brief April walkout and lost in the second round of the playoffs.

SLAP SHOTS

The Mighty Ducks believe the NHL is discriminating against them by assigning young, inexperienced referees to their games. They have a point: In 27 of their 45 games, the referee had two years’ experience or less. Also, neither Kerry Fraser nor Andy van Hellemond, considered the top referees, has worked at Anaheim Arena, although every referee is supposed to work everywhere once. “It’s a concern,” General Manager Jack Ferreira said of the assignments. . . . The Rangers had a deal with the Vancouver Canucks for center Petr Nedved but backed out when Nedved’s agent, Tony Kondel, demanded a $1.4-million payment and more in performance bonuses. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to sustain their 7-0-3 streak without defenseman Bob Rouse, who had arthroscopic knee surgery and is out at least two weeks. . . . Roger Neilson’s defensive system isn’t pretty, but Florida keeps winning. The Panthers have given up only 17 goals during their 5-0-4 surge, the longest unbeaten streak ever by an expansion club.