Rangers Prove That the Cup Is Not for Sale

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has to be a big fan of the New York Rangers because without them, his recent arguments about the status of the league would be extremely shaky.

“Just because you spend money, it doesn’t get you the results,” Bettman said last week. “There isn’t quite the correlation there is in other sports between what you spend and how your team performs.”

The Rangers, who have missed the playoffs four years in a row despite having one of the highest payrolls, are the team Bettman loves to use as an example.

“The bulk of the clubs are trying to operate within their means,” Bettman said. “There are a handful of clubs that either have greater means or are operating beyond their means.

“[But] if it becomes increasingly clear you have to spend to get the [Stanley Cup], we’re going to look at the system.”

Although the NHL’s average attendance increased to 16,549 last season and the league is in the middle of a five-year, $600-million television contract with ABC and ESPN, the league has been experiencing growing pains trying to gain acceptance as a mainstream sport in the U.S.

And the main reason for concern has been the upward salary spiral of the league’s top players despite a call from Bettman last year for owners to cut back on their spending.

Defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado re-signed Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Rob Blake in deals that will earn them a combined $27.6 million this season. The Detroit Red Wings tried to keep pace by adding veterans Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille and Brett Hull for the combined salary of $16.5 million this season. And the New York Islanders committed $107.5 million to acquire Ottawa’s Alexei Yashin and Buffalo’s Mike Peca in an attempt to return to the playoffs.

This type of spending is one reason why the league appears to be headed for labor trouble in 2004 when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

The NHL doesn’t want to admit it but the league is already top heavy, especially in the Western Conference. Since 1996, only four teams have made it to the conference finals-Colorado, Detroit, Dallas and St. Louis-and it’s not a coincidence that those teams rank among the top six in payroll this season.

Blake in the House

It may have taken former King Blake a little while to get used to calling himself a member of the Colorado Avalanche, but it didn’t take long for the team to make the decision that Blake is a player worth keeping.

“They made me feel like a part of the organization as soon as I stepped into the room,” said Blake, whose wife, Brandy, gave birth to the couple’s first child (a son named Jack) late last month. “They welcomed me from the start. Not just for last season but for five or six years. That’s a pretty comforting feeling.”

Colorado made a huge statement when it re-signed Roy, Sakic and Blake.

“We knew that if all three of us were to remain here, we would have a good chance of playing for the cup,” Blake said. “Once we won it once, we knew that we would have the opportunity to win it again if we all stayed. That was something we all had in mind and once management came and offered us a package to get us all to stay, we made it happen.”

Colorado Coach Bob Hartley said Blake not only “showed why he is such a quality performer with some unbelievable performances in the playoffs last season,” but he also is a quality person off the ice.

“I knew he was a quality player from coaching against him and a quality person from seeing him around the rink and the ice,” Hartley said. “But to see him work at practices and in the gym, you see him take time with the young players in the organization. That’s when you see how great his values are and what a good person he is. Everything about him has been a positive for our organization.”

Interesting Mix

It was quite a scene in the Phoenix Coyote locker room after their season-opening 2-2 tie against the Kings last week at Staples Center. In a way, it was like a mini-reunion for the 1993 Kings, who lost in the Stanley Cup finals to Montreal. Wayne Gretzky, Bruce McNall and Marty McSorley all had big smiles while walking around the visitors’ dressing room.

Gretzky, managing partner of the Coyotes, sat next to McNall in a suite during the game. He has remained a close friend of the former King owner, who completed his time in jail earlier this year. McSorley, who hasn’t played in the NHL since he was suspended for hitting Vancouver’s Donald Brashear with a stick, appeared to be in good shape but did not talk as if any comeback is on the horizon.

Class Act

After leaving Los Angeles, Gretzky traveled with the Coyotes to Edmonton to take part in a tribute for former linemate Jari Kurri last Saturday.

Kurri, who finished his NHL career with 601 goals and 1,398 points, 14th on the league’s all-time list and tops among European players, had his No. 17 jersey retired. It was raised right beside Gretzky’s No. 99.

“I was pretty close to breaking down, but I didn’t want to cry--I wanted to enjoy as much of it as I could,” said Kurri, who had his twin 16-year-old sons, Ville and Joonas, with him.

The highlight of the night was when Kurri scored a goal off an assist from Gretzky while wearing his full uniform.

“When Kevin [Lowe, the Oiler general manager] phoned me and told me Jari had agreed to go on the ice in his uniform and that he wanted me to make the pass, I was a little nervous that he wanted me in uniform too,” said Gretzky, who made the pass in a suit and street shoes.

Line Shifts

In his first game as a Washington Capital, Jaromir Jagr was switched to Adam Oates’ line in the second period and responded with a goal. Washington is reportedly close to signing Jagr to a five-year, $55-million contract extension. ... Tampa Bay had to dig deep to re-sign talented center Vincent Lecavalier, who reportedly received a four-year deal worth $10.2 million. ... Boston could be ready to move restricted free-agent center Jason Allison because the Bruins don’t seem to want to pay him the $7.5 million he’s seeking. The Kings and Washington may have the most interest if Boston is willing to deal.