Roughhouse Penalty on the League

How many more hints do NHL executives need that their game is losing its luster, which is more important than the gain in parity among teams?

Mario Lemieux’s imminent retirement should sound an alarm that hooking, holding and interference--the last resorts of mediocre players--are too prevalent. It’s easier to drag the talented few down to the level of the masses than to develop more skilled players, especially with expansion coming. That explains why the NHL this season told referees not to make marginal calls, a philosophy Lemieux and other scorers abhor. Allowing hooking and holding makes players more nearly equal, but it dilutes the quality of play.

Parity, abdominal and groin injuries that may be related to poor ice surfaces and a crackdown on offensive players in the crease brought scoring down from an average of 6.29 goals a game last season to 5.83. That’s the lowest since 1969-70, when teams averaged 5.8. Power-play chances fell from 10,746 last season to 8,739, and power-play efficiency dropped from 17.9% to 16.3%. Goalies recorded 127 shutouts, shattering the record of 99 set in 1993-94. Low-scoring games are exciting if they result from good defense and goaltending, but they’re tedious if they result from ineptitude, as they did too often this season.

Before skating off into the sunset, Lemieux won his sixth scoring title. From 1981-1997, Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky led the NHL in scoring every year except 1995, when Jaromir Jagr and Eric Lindros shared the lead. With Lemieux about to leave and Gretzky falling short of 100 points for the first time in a season in which he wasn’t injured or locked out, a changing of the NHL’s guard is in progress at the individual and team levels.

Out of the playoffs are the Boston Bruins, whose 29-year playoff streak was the longest in professional sports; and the Washington Capitals, who made 14 consecutive appearances. The Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres are back after absences, and the Mighty Ducks will make their playoff debut, as will the Ottawa Senators, the NHL’s worst team each of their previous four seasons.

Here’s a look at this season’s winners and losers:

WINNERS

--Lemieux. If not for two back operations and Hodgkin’s disease, he might have set dozens of records. He averaged 0.823 goals a game in his career, the highest average among the top 100 scoring leaders, and his average of 2.01 points a game is second only to Gretzky’s 2.03.

--The Dallas Stars. From last a year ago to first in the Central Division and second in the West, a 38-point turnaround. They had talent last season but lacked discipline and guidance. Coach Ken Hitchcock did a great job.

--The Buffalo Sabres. Goaltender Dominik Hasek had a most-valuable-player season, and the team pulled together after center Pat LaFontaine suffered a season-ending concussion. Gritty and coached well by Ted Nolan.

--The Ottawa Senators. They’re no longer a joke. General Manager Pierre Gauthier and Coach Jacques Martin added stability and professionalism.

--Sheldon Kennedy. The Boston right wing bravely disclosed the sexual abuse he suffered from junior coach Graham James, which led to James’ imprisonment.

--Tony Granato. He made an unprecedented return from brain surgery and scored 25 goals for the San Jose Sharks. A class act.

LOSERS

--Hockey fans everywhere, because they won’t get to watch Lemieux next season. He’s not the ambassador Gretzky is, but he was Gretzky’s equal in every other way and is superior in some areas.

--The Sharks. They made it to the second round of the playoffs in 1994 and 1995 but have since regressed despite flashy free-agent signings.

--The Bruins. How the mighty have fallen. Much of the decay that led to the end of their playoff streak was self-inflicted.

--The Vancouver Canucks. Pavel Bure played most of the season with a neck injury, but a fold after mid-season took them and their $27-million payroll out of the playoffs.

WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR

--The New York Islanders. They made a late charge but missed. Ziggy Palffy, who scored 48 goals and had 90 points this season, will lead them back to contention.

--Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. The next five NHL scoring races might be an intramural battle between these Mighty Duck wingers. Selanne had 51 goals and Kariya, who had 44, would have surpassed 50 if he hadn’t had an abdominal injury.

WAIT TILL NEXT CENTURY

--The Kings. Hey, the next century isn’t that far off. On the rare occasions the defense was intact, they showed promise. But the team finished in a tie for 24th in goals scored and their power play ranked 25th. They must get faster and more productive and play better team defense.

--The Washington Capitals. They had lots of injuries, but who didn’t? They were always short a goal and short on heart. General Manager David Poile’s contract is up and he’s probably gone, because his big trade for Rick Tocchet, Bill Ranford and Adam Oates didn’t get them in the playoffs.

HARDWARE STORE

Hart Trophy (most valuable player)--Hasek. Without him and his league-leading 0.930 save percentage, the Sabres would still be in the depths of the Northeast Division. Clearly indispensable.

Norris Trophy (best defenseman)--Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers was a constant threat on an erratic team. He was plus-31 and led defensemen with 78 points. Honorable mention: Dallas’ Darryl Sydor, who found the confidence he lacked with the Kings and went from minus-12 last season to plus-37. Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit also had a fine all-around season.

Vezina Trophy (best goalie)--Could be Hasek again, but let’s share the wealth and reward Martin Brodeur of New Jersey. He had a league-leading 1.88 goals-against average and 10 shutouts; tied Hasek for second in wins, 37, behind Patrick Roy and was second to Hasek in save percentage at 0.927.

Calder (rookie of the year)--Calgary’s Jarome Iginla was the top scorer with 50 points, but the last of his 21 goals was scored March 1. Pittsburgh goalie Patrick Lalime faded, and New York Islander defenseman Bryan Berard and Flyer defenseman Janne Niinimaa came on late. Berard, narrowly.

Selke Trophy (defensive forward)--Buffalo’s Michael Peca scored a league-high six short-handed goals and 20 overall and led his team at plus-26. The Rangers’ Niklas Sundstrom and Pittsburgh’s Ron Francis also excelled, but the pick is Peca.

Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly conduct and high standard of play)--Kariya, last year’s winner, was third in scoring and had only six penalty minutes. Francis, with 20 penalty minutes and 10th in scoring, would be a worthy choice too.

Jack Adams Award (coach of the year)--Hitchcock and Nolan are the front-runners, but Ottawa’s Jacques Martin rates mention. Hitchcock made the biggest difference, however.

SLAP SHOTS

Phoenix forward Jeremy Roenick sat in General Manager Bobby Smith’s seat in the front row of the team bus one day last week, but not for long. “If you don’t trade seats with me, you’re going to trade paychecks with me for the next two weeks,” Smith said. “You’ve got two seconds to make up your mind.” Roenick, who earned $3.2 million this season, never has moved so fast. . . . Detroit’s Sergei Fedorov has halted contract talks until the playoffs end.

Hartford’s Keith Primeau didn’t mind fighting his younger brother, Wayne, last week when the Whalers faced Buffalo. “It doesn’t matter who he is, he was scuffling with our goaltender,” Keith said. “I had to do something.” Said Wayne: “It was a good trade-off. We needed to get [Keith] off the ice.” . . . Whaler owner Peter Karmanos said he had offers from three cities of rent-free buildings and promises to cover his debts until new arenas are built. He has been to Columbus, Ohio, and Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and plans to visit Las Vegas, San Diego, Kansas City and Cincinnati. San Diego sports officials said they were unaware he’s coming.

Linesmen Ron Asselstine, Bob Hodges and Leon Stickle, who officiated more than 5,000 games among them, worked their final regular-season games last weekend.