THE NHL / HELENE ELLIOTT : Top Rookie Is Hardest of Tough Calls

The toughest decision in voting for NHL trophies figures to be for rookie of the year. Should goaltender Jim Carey win for turning the Washington Capitals into a playoff team or is top rookie scorer Peter Forsberg of the Quebec Nordiques the class of the field? The Mighty Ducks’ Paul Kariya will have support because he has more goals than Forsberg (17-15) with an infinitely less talented team.

The envelopes, please:

CALDER (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR)

Carey, Washington. The Capitals were going nowhere until they promoted him from the American Hockey League. His 2.14 goals-against average leads the league and his 91.3% save percentage is in the top 10. Forsberg has dazzling skills, but he gets help from an array of talented teammates. Kariya shows flashes of brilliance but isn’t consistent.

NORRIS (BEST DEFENSEMAN)

Paul Coffey, Detroit. In addition to leading the Red Wings in scoring and ranking among the NHL leaders, he is playing solid defense and setting an example his teammates follow. Chicago’s Chris Chelios is a distant second because he slumped after a strong start. Third is Boston’s Ray Bourque, still going strong at age 34.

HART (MOST VALUABLE PLAYER)

Eric Lindros, Philadelphia. His contributions to the Flyers only begin with being the league’s top scorer. He sets the tone with his physical play and is a respected leader at age 22. Second goes to Jaromir Jagr, who has made Pittsburgh fans forget Mario Lemieux. Third is Calgary’s Theoren Fleury, one of the NHL’s smallest players but a huge reason the Flames won the Pacific Division.

SELKE (BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD)

Ron Francis, Pittsburgh. He is among the NHL’s best two-way players and has a plus-29 rating on a team that has outscored opponents by 24. Calgary’s Joel Otto does a fine job against rivals’ top scorers and the St. Louis Blues’ Esa Tikkanen is as big a pest as ever.

LADY BYNG (GENTLEMANLY CONDUCT

AND HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY)

Adam Oates, Boston. He makes plays, not enemies, collecting 41 assists and eight penalty minutes. San Jose scoring leader Ulf Dahlen (11 penalty minutes) is a good choice, as would be top Toronto scorer Mats Sundin (14 penalty minutes).

MASTERTON (PERSEVERANCE,

SPORTSMANSHIP AND DEDICATION)

Dave Poulin, Washington. Despite modest size and skills, Poulin, who will retire after the season to coach at Notre Dame, is a standout defensive forward and was a leader with the Flyers, Bruins and Capitals. Second goes to Pat LaFontaine, back after a knee injury idled him more than a year. Winnipeg’s Teemu Selanne, who has returned from a severed Achilles’ tendon, is also worthy.

JACK ADAMS AWARD (COACH OF THE YEAR)

Marc Crawford, Quebec. He kept the Nordiques atop the Northeast in his first season and kept critics happy. Terry Murray has done a good job with the Flyers, helped by the Lindros-John LeClair-Mikael Renberg line. Washington’s Jim Schoenfeld gets third for his motivational skills and for opening the door to let Peter Bondra (34 goals) on the ice.

VEZINA (BEST GOALIE)

Dominik Hasek, Buffalo. Without him, the low-scoring Sabres would be lost. He has been among the leaders in average and save percentage all season. Andy Moog (91.5 save percentage) has been a constant for Dallas. Third is a tie between Carey and Boston rookie Blaine Lacher (2.42 average).

WIN(NIPEG) SOME, LOSE SOME

Canadian cabinet ministers summoned NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to Ottawa on Tuesday to discuss ways to keep the Jets in Winnipeg, but it’s probably too late to prevent the club from being sold and moved.

The Manitoba Entertainment Complex, a private group attempting to buy the Jets from owner Barry Shenkarow and keep them in town, wants the city and Manitoba province to help pay debts that might reach $35 million over the next two years. Government officials aren’t willing to help that much.

The MEC claims the NHL was unreasonable to set a list of conditions that included absorbing current and future debts of about $25 million, providing sufficient operating capital to guarantee the Jets will be competitive and promising not to move them for a defined period. But NHL officials say the MEC had an unrealistic business plan, including a budget for player salaries that projected an increase of only $1 million over the next five years.

“By insisting that there be stability, by insisting that the team be competitive . . . . if that is driving the team out, then that team probably doesn’t belong there in the first place,” said Bettman, who needed a police escort to get through Winnipeg last week.

Bettman says he wants the Jets to stay in Winnipeg, but the NHL would shed no tears if the club ended up in Atlanta under Ted Turner’s ownership. Two Minneapolis groups also remain in the picture.

SEEING RED

The Detroit Red Wings have the NHL’s best record and will open the playoffs as Cup favorites, but Coach Scotty Bowman isn’t happy. One of his aims was to win the goals-against title, and although the Wings had the lowest team average most of the season, they’ve softened and have allowed 32 goals in their last eight games. The last time they had the lowest average was 1955, the year they last won the Cup.

Boredom has played a role in their decline. No one pushed them for the Central Division title for months, so they’ve had little incentive to play tight defense. But it’s dangerous to relax and try to turn emotions on again in the playoffs because there’s no guarantee intensity can be rekindled.

“The last couple of weeks, we’ve come off the team concept and allowed a couple of goals against too many,” said Jimmy Devellano, Detroit’s senior vice president and co-GM with Bowman. “We’d like to get back to the style that got us where we are.”

COACHES CORNER

Unless the Kings get an infusion of cash from new investors, they’ll have a tough time hiring a top-notch GM/coach. Mike Milbury won’t come unless they double the $400,000 they offered him in March, but their shaky finances won’t allow it.

The early favorites are John Muckler, who might be fired if the Sabres exit the playoffs early, and Toronto’s Pat Burns, whose contract has an escape clause allowing him to leave for a GM job. Burns’ name has also been connected with a potential front-office change in Ottawa, as has Calgary’s Dave King. The Flames are unlikely to re-sign King unless they win the Cup.

SLAP SHOTS

The Montreal Canadiens’ playoff exclusion--only their ninth in their 78-year history--means there will be no more playoff games at the Forum. Their new home, also to be named the Forum, is scheduled to open in March. Look for a lot of new faces too. . . . Top defensemen are being battered. Bourque (back spasms) was sidelined for two games last week; the Blues’ Al MacInnis (shoulder strain) will be sidelined for the start of the playoffs; the Capitals’ Mark Tinordi (knee sprain) might be sidelined four to six weeks; and Jeff Brown, the point man on Vancouver’s power play, has a slight shoulder separation. . . . Ranger center Mark Messier rested his sore back Sunday but is expected to be ready for the playoffs.

Lindros suffered no damage to his vision when a puck hit him beneath his left eye Sunday. He was ordered to wear a face shield when he returns. . . . Richard Park of Rancho Palos Verdes, Pittsburgh’s second pick and the 50th overall last June, signed a three-year, $500,000 contract and may appear in the playoffs.