If They Are Serious, It’ll Be a Change

Six months into his presidency of the Kings and six weeks into his first “Serious Hockey” season, Tim Leiweke has learned it will take more than a catchy slogan and a modestly successful team to lure fans back to the Forum.

“There are some nights you walk in and see 9,000 people and it’s depressing,” he said. “We have learned a lot of valuable lessons as far as five years of frustration and all the problems we have created for ourselves. But in the last month, I’ve been feeling a lot better.”

After eight home games, the Kings’ attendance is down more than 2,800 a game to an average of 11,450. (They announce the number of tickets out, not a turnstile count). They had two sellouts in the first eight games last season and have had none this season, but Saturday’s game against Detroit is close.

Their season-ticket base, already down, fell to about 8,000 when 10 accounts were canceled by fans who took advantage of a money-back offer to returning season-ticket holders. Leiweke isn’t discouraged, however.

“We have over 2,000 accounts, so that’s less than 1%,” he said. “That speaks well for our product and the effort of our players.”

Although some fans have complained that they paid for seats while others nearby got in free, Leiweke said the club has given tickets away only to radio stations for promotions. However, he acknowledged that he is powerless to stop the many Senate seat holders who bought seats specifically to see the Lakers from peddling King tickets to brokers and scalpers.

“We need to continue to build the value [of King games] in their eyes,” Leiweke said.

He believes they have made progress by enhancing service and offering a discount family package, which drew 12,787 fans to see Calgary last month. Six family nights were planned, one has been added and an eighth is possible.

For those awaiting the amenities of a new arena, Leiweke said he anticipates a decision on a site within two weeks because waiting longer would jeopardize plans to open in September 1999.

Leiweke also said he remains opposed to acquiring a marquee player because few NHL stars have major drawing power and he’s reluctant to part with young players or draft picks. Still, fans who are being asked to pay $75 for tickets and exorbitant concession prices deserve to be awed once in a while, not merely fed promises about prospects that may never pan out.

“I think more important than the stars is winning,” Leiweke said. “That will ultimately fill the building. We all feel the pressure. To date, I’ll give our hockey guys credit. ‘Serious Hockey.’ If there were ever an award for truth in advertising, we’d win it.”

The Kings’ 9-7-3 record is a promising step toward regaining credibility. The next step should come from management in the form of a new arena, a visible owner--media-shy Philip Anschutz lives in Denver and can watch the seriously talented Colorado Avalanche every game--and commitment to providing players whose skills lift fans out of their increasingly costly seats.

PAT IS NO PATSY

Mindful of Brett Lindros’ retirement last season because of the effects of repeated concussions and Tony Granato’s brain surgery, the Buffalo Sabres are being extremely cautious with center Pat LaFontaine.

LaFontaine, who suffered his fifth concussion Oct. 17, came back shortly afterward but lacked his usual sharpness. Friends say his struggles were worsened by his sense of duty and a fear that fans would think he wasn’t earning his $4.6-million salary.

LaFontaine is a class act and would be the last guy to fake an injury. He owes it to himself and his family to recover completely before he tries to play again.

DINO IS NO DINOSAUR

Tampa Bay right wing Dino Ciccarelli has no illusions about his talents.

“My goals aren’t highlight films,” said Ciccarelli, who has made an art of standing near the net and converting rebounds and tip-ins. “Maybe 5% of them I had some nice shots or made a deke.”

What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for in quantity. With 13 goals this season, he ranks second to Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr, who has 15, and has climbed to 10th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 564.

Ciccarelli, 36, had 22 goals in 64 games with Detroit last season and accepted a reduced role for the chance to play for a Stanley Cup contender. After the Red Wings lost to Colorado in the conference finals, Scotty Bowman traded him to Tampa Bay for only a third-round draft pick. Ciccarelli welcomed the switch in coaches from Bowman to Terry Crisp.

“With Crispy, you know where you stand,” he said. “If you make a mistake, he’ll tell you and the next day he’ll say hello. He’ll give you another chance. Scotty likes to leave you in the dark. He doesn’t like to communicate that way. Scotty’s a little too old-fashioned and Crispy’s a little more modern coach.”

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

The season is taking a heavy toll on goalies.

Tampa Bay lost Daren Puppa indefinitely this week after he underwent back surgery. Also idled this week were Dallas’ Arturs Irbe, because of a groin pull; Pittsburgh’s Tom Barrasso, shoulder injury, and Vancouver’s Kirk McLean, left knee surgery.

Other casualties include Hartford’s Sean Burke, back spasms; Chicago’s Jeff Hackett, broken finger; Montreal’s Jocelyn Thibault, broken finger, and San Jose’s Chris Terreri, wrist injury, and Wade Flaherty, broken collarbone. That’s a long list, considering the season isn’t yet one-quarter over.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A COACH . . .

Under fire for his failure to get along with his stars and for his team’s 7-10-3 record, Montreal Canadien Coach Mario Tremblay isn’t sleeping and is having stomach problems that have had him coughing up blood.

Last week, assistant coaches Yvan Cournoyer and Steve Shutt traded places, with Cournoyer--who reportedly has been mocked by players for his lack of knowledge--moving from the bench to the press box and Shutt to the bench.

General Manager Rejean Houle has done little to restore the organization’s class. When he traded Donald Brashear to Vancouver, Houle was petty enough to stipulate that Brashear couldn’t play at Montreal on Saturday. Houle couldn’t face the possibility that Brashear, who’d had a shouting match with Tremblay and questioned the coach’s ability, might come back and be proven right.

SLAP SHOTS

Ugly as the crash of Buffalo’s $4-million scoreboard was, think of what might have happened if that cable had snapped during a game. The game between the Sabres and Bruins has been rescheduled for March 17. . . . In a welcome display of sound judgment, the NHL has unofficially decided not to expand before 1998-99 and probably not until later. The expansion committee met last week to discuss the 11 applicants but the groups won’t present their cases until mid-January. That rules out next season, and even 1998-99 will be a tight squeeze for cities that lack suitable arenas. Only Nashville will be ready to go next season. The Atlanta group, backed by Turner Broadcasting Systems, is targeting 1999-2000.

The New York Rangers are 1-7-3 against Atlantic Division opponents. . . . On the market: underachieving Ranger winger Alexei Kovalev, who last week forgot to join his linemates for about 20 seconds of a shift, and temperamental Tampa Bay defenseman Roman Hamrlik.

The New York Islanders were one of the few teams able to give up a front-line defenseman for center Bryan Smolinski, whom they got from Pittsburgh for Darius Kasparaitis and rookie Andreas Johansson. It seems that they gave up a lot, but Smolinski gives them some welcome depth up front. . . . Stu Grimson’s goal for Hartford on Saturday was his first since March 22, 1994, when he was with the Mighty Ducks.

The NHL’s three-game suspension of Toronto’s Mathieu Schneider for elbowing Duck winger Paul Kariya was appropriate. The Maple Leafs claimed Kariya was trying to draw a penalty and Schneider was getting back into position, which is absurd. . . . San Jose defenseman Al Iafrate, making a strong comeback from knee surgery, will miss two weeks because of a broken toe. A sprained knee will idle Florida left wing Johan Garpenlov for a month.

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Taking Their Best Shots

As players get bigger and stronger, and shoot harder, it’s a wonder more goalies aren’t hurt stopping those shots. These 10 goalies have put themselves on the line more often than their peers, having faced the most shots from the start of the 1991-92 season through last season.

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Goalie Team(s) Through Games Shots Average 1995-96 Season Played Faced Per Game Bill Ranford Boston, Edmonton 292 8,525 29.2 Curtis Joseph Edmonton, St. Louis 269 8,412 31.3 Patrick Roy Colorado, Montreal 301 8,063 26.8 Kelly Hrudey Kings 245 8,000 32.7 Kirk McLean Vancouver 256 7,257 28.3 John Vanbiesbrouck Florida, NY Rangers 244 7,241 29.7 Ed Belfour Chicago 285 6,993 24.5 Ron Hextall NY Isl., Phil., Que. 248 6,717 27.1 Felix Potvin Toronto 223 6,671 29.9 Andy Moog Boston, Dallas 244 6,640 27.2

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Source: NHL