UHL

Filip Novak
Team: Regina Pats (WHL)
Position: defenseman
Birthdate: May, 7th, 1982
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoots: L Read more»

Pavel Bure comes to the Rangers, along with the Panthers 2nd round pick this spring (2002), in return for veteran defenseman Igor Ulanov, young prospect Filip Novak, the Rangers’ 1st and 2nd round selections in 2002, as well as a 4th round selection in 2003.

Filip Novak, a 19-year-old defenseman currently playing junior hockey with the Regina Pats of the WHL, is the best player that the Panthers have received in this deal. Novak was originally drafted by the Rangers in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the 2000 Draft and is in his third and final year of junior hockey. (To view a lengthy article on Novak, click here) A swift skating defenseman with excellent offensive ability and the ability to rush the puck up the ice and make the important first pass out of the zone, Novak has progressed well over the last few years and has put on about 25 pounds since being drafted. However, with young defenseman such as Tomas Kloucek, Mike Mottau and Fedor Tyutin in the system, the Rangers deemed Novak expendable in such a deal as this one. Novak has been unable to take his game from about a number 3 defenseman to a more elite role, and that could also have factored in to the Rangers’ decision to move him. Also according to some whispers, the Panthers originally wanted Fedor Tyutin in this deal but Glen Sather quickly turned that scenario down.

As the trade deadline nears closer and closer, hockey critics have provided
us with their predications of what to expect before the 3:00 pm deadline on
Tuesday. According to the majority of critics, such as TSN’s Bob McKenzie,
deadline should be marked by a number of insignificant trades quite unlike
what we have become accustomed to in the past seasons.

Although the Los Angeles Kings started the season poorly, they have been one
of the NHL’s hottest teams and seemed destined to make some noise in the
upcoming playoffs, especially if they are lucky enough to play the Chicago
Blackhawks in the first round, who have had a strong season but really
cannot be considered a serious contender in the Western Conference.

The Kings were involved in the most talked about trade of last year’s
deadline when they sent Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche for Adam
Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller. Will the Kings once again make significant
adjustments to the roster? The answer is likely no, but it should be noted
the recent addition of veteran forward, Cliff Ronning, does improve the
team.

Cliff Ronning has played in over 1000 games and participated in the Stanley
Cup finals as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Although he is now 36 years
old, he once again led the Nashville Predators in scoring and can be relied
upon to provide some offense, taking away some of the burden from Jason
Allison.

The addition of Ronning provides Andy Murray with some more depth but
without Karalahti, the Kings are not willing to part with any other player Read more»

REBELS ON TOP OF FINAL BANK OF MONTREAL MASTERCARD TOP 10 RANKINGS

The defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champion Red Deer Rebels are the
number one ranked team in the final Bank of Montreal MasterCard Canadian
Hockey League Top 10 list of the season, as selected by a panel of National
Hockey League scouts.

The Rebels (45-18-7-1) still have one regular season game to play Tuesday
night at Calgary, but they have won the WHL overall title and they head into
the WHL playoffs as the number one seeded team again this season. Red Deer
was ranked number one for the last five weeks of the season and the first
seven weeks of the season, while the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League held the number one spot for the other 10 weeks
in a row.

Red Deer slipped out of the Top 10 for a week during the Titan’s run at the
top, but a franchise record 14-game winning streak and 17 of 18 wins during
one stretch was enough to give the Rebels the nod as No. 1 on the last Bank
of Montreal MasterCard CHL Top 10 list of the season. The Rebels had an
18-week run in the No. 1 spot until the Titan started its 10-week run.

Acadie-Bathurst (44-16-4-5) wound up second in the final poll, up from third
last week, after clinching the QMJHL overall title. The Titan has 99 points
with one game to go Tuesday night and enter the QMJHL playoffs as the number
one seed after appearing on the Top 10 list 19 of the 22 weeks the list was
published this year.

The Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League drop down into third spot
in the fina Read more»

Monday, March 11 to Sunday, March 17

At the Deadline

The National Hockey League’s trade deadline will pass on Tuesday at 3:01
p.m. EST, not before putting a scare into the hearts of many players (and
their families) around the league.

“You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t think about it,” Wild defenseman Jason
Marshall told the Pioneer Press. “We all know it comes every year. It’s kind
of out of our control. We try to concentrate on playing the game.”

Marshall’s name has been included in several trade rumors, while goaltender
Jamie McLennan has had his name bounce around several times. McLennan has
been playing in the American Hockey League with the Houston Aeros all
season, and will be an unrestricted free agent come July. The chance of
finding a taker for McLennan is unlikely.

With only two years of existence in the NHL, the Wild could use help at
every position, unlike some of the top teams in the league, who are
well-padded in certain areas.

The addition of one or two experienced veterans will add some leadership and
much needed depth to the lineup, which is something Minnesota should seek
before the puck drops on the 2002-03 season.

By the Numbers

11 – Points Marian Gaborik has recorded in his last six games (nine
goals, two assists), powering the Wild to a 3-0-1-2 record in that span.

8 – Points the Wild have earned in their last five games, including
wins over St. Louis, Dallas and Columbus, a tie with Phoenix and an overtime
loss to Ottawa.

Read more»