Ouster Is Not Water Off Wilson’s Back

Ron Wilson is still nursing some wounds from the Mighty Ducks’ decision to let him go after he coached the team to its first playoff berth last season.

Although he was quickly hired by the Washington Capitals, the change hasn’t been easy because his wife and younger daughter, Lauren, stayed in California so Lauren could graduate from Villa Park High. And with the Capitals playing mostly road games now so they can have more home dates after their new arena opens in December, their travel has been tougher than for other Eastern Conference teams.

Wilson hasn’t forgiven Duck executives, but the Capitals’ franchise-best 7-1-0 start went a long way toward healing his bruised feelings.

“I watch [the Ducks] of course. All that stuff, you try to keep behind you, but there are constant reminders,” Wilson said. “Things are going well in Washington, so it’s easier to forget.”

He’s still angry over the reasons General Manager Jack Ferreira and club President Tony Tavares cited for not retaining him. “They said I can’t develop young players and I can’t develop Europeans. Now I have a team of Europeans and young players,” Wilson said. “People have to say things to justify their actions. I prefer if they’d come along and said, ‘We don’t want you to coach this way.’ . . .

“I’m happy the way things turned out. We obviously have a lot more depth in Washington than we had in Anaheim, and if a couple of guys aren’t having good nights, we have others who can elevate their games. Everybody’s been contributing and I’m really happy with how fast the guys have come together.

“We’re the United Nations, sort of. We have more Europeans than any other team. When I first got here, I didn’t see a trust in the room. It was really tense. You’d walk in and it was like being sent to the principal’s office. I want feedback and I want a lively atmosphere, with everybody talking and not sitting on their hands.”

Wilson removed the defensive shackles put on by former coach Jim Schoenfeld but players haven’t let up defensively. He wants aggressive forechecking and constant pressure on the puck, and the Capitals--who are essentially the same team as last season--have happily complied.

“He’s letting players do what got them to this point,” veteran defenseman Phil Housley said. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere.”

Said defenseman Mark Tinordi: “More guys prefer this system. I’m sure some guys felt [confined] before. . . . Ron seems a little more relaxed and he’s real calm behind the bench. He jokes around with the guys and has a good relationship with us.”

The Capitals hit a lull last week, losing twice and tying once to end a five-game trip. Injuries to Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Michal Pivonka will test their depth, but they feel Wilson can lead them through whatever comes.

“I thought he did an excellent job in Anaheim and an excellent job with the U.S. team in the World Cup. Those situations showed his ability to coach different types of teams,” General Manager George McPhee said. “Anaheim didn’t have a lot of skill and the U.S. team did. Any feedback I’ve gotten on Ron has been positive.”

The Capitals don’t play at Anaheim until Dec. 12, but Wilson was here a few weeks ago, when his daughter was chosen Villa Park’s homecoming queen. The event’s theme was “The Wizard of Oz,” the same theme Wilson used to inspire the Ducks in the playoffs. He couldn’t have known the yellow brick road would lead him to Washington, but he may get a better shot at the Stanley Cup. That beats a pair of ruby slippers any day.

NO, NO NAGANO

Bob Clarke, head of the three-man committee in charge of Canada’s Olympic entry at Nagano, asked friends of Mario Lemieux to find out if the six-time scoring champion could be talked into coming out of retirement to play in the Olympics. Lemieux let it be known he’s not interested in going for the gold.

“There’s no way he’s going to play competitive hockey again,” said his agent, Tom Reich. “He’s at peace with himself, and even the many of us who will suffer withdrawal because we can’t see him play anymore will have to accept that. Understand that he’s a very happy man, and how can you not be happy for him?”

Rosters for the six “dream” teams will be announced Dec. 1, as will Wilson’s appointment as the U.S. coach. However, some familiar names will be missing from the Russian team--Viacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov of the Detroit Red Wings.

Fetisov, 39, is the last active NHL player who played in the U.S. upset of the Soviet Union at Lake Placid in 1980. He teamed with Larionov to win gold medals in 1984 and ’88.

Both are caught in a political game. The Russian team is managed by Alexei Kasatonov, Fetisov’s longtime defense partner. Kasatanov was thought to be a spy for tyrannical coach Viktor Tikhonov and was hated by Fetisov and Larionov; Kasatonov is apparently getting his revenge.

“Last April there was an article in a Russian newspaper that Larionov and Fetisov are not supposed to go to the Olympics. That was a month before we won the Stanley Cup,” Fetisov said. “It would be nice to be there. I have stayed in hockey this long and to have a chance to do it again would be special.”

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman begged referees to call obstruction fouls more closely this season in order to let skill players shine, increase scoring and give the game a smoother flow. So far, obstruction-related calls are up 100% over a year ago, games are choppier and longer, and scoring is down by almost half a goal a game. Manpower advantages have increased by more than 200 from last season but power-play efficiency is the same and even-strength scoring is down by about 100 goals.

“Frankly, we’re bewildered,” NHL Senior Vice President Brian Burke said.

Don’t despair. Burke anticipates this will be a short-term annoyance that will lead to substantial long-term gains.

“We’re going to try our absolute best to maintain this and players are going to adjust,” he said. “Coaches won’t tolerate guys taking two or three obstruction penalties a game. Hopefully, the number of calls will go down. It’s a good rule and it will work if people are patient with it.”

WORST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

It was a scary moment Wednesday at Madison Square Garden when Janet Jones Gretzky, Wayne Gretzky’s wife, was struck in the head and knocked unconscious by a pane of glass that was jarred loose. She suffered a concussion and a cut lip and skipped the Rangers’ next two games.

Gretzky finished the game, prompting debates over whether he should have accompanied Janet to the hospital. In a Toronto Star poll, 63% of the respondents said he should have gone with her. The next day he conceded, “I probably shouldn’t have gone back out,” but said he knew she wasn’t seriously hurt. He added, “She’s got something she can hold on me for a long time.”

Sure, but how many Rolls Royces can one woman drive?

SLAP SHOTS

The wrong guy was fired in Tampa. Coach Terry Crisp wasn’t to blame for the Lightning’s poor performances. The team has been mismanaged from the start and GM Phil Esposito should pay for that. . . . The Red Wings and restricted free agent center Sergei Fedorov were about $1-million apart after GM Ken Holland talked with Fedorov’s agent, Mike Barnett, last week. The Red Wings offered a five-year deal worth an average of $5.5 million a year but Fedorov wants more than $6 million a year. They also offered a four-year deal worth less than $5 million a season.

Tampa Bay center John Cullen, who has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, will undergo a bone-marrow transplant this week in a Boston hospital. . . . Pat Conacher, who was not retained as the Ducks’ radio analyst, came out of retirement to join the Canadian national team. He may get some famous teammates. Unsigned free agents Paul Kariya of the Ducks and Michael Peca of Buffalo are considering joining the team to stay in shape. . . . Mark Messier, signed by Vancouver for $20 million, is saying there’s no injury to blame for his output of two goals, both in the Canucks’ first four games. What then? Age? A team that’s not playing for Coach Tom Renney?