June 4/03 -
Season of Change
Bob Gainey’s return to Montreal is the latest move in what looks like a pivotal summer for pro hockey.
Gainey, a Hall of Fame player and link to the last Canadiens’ dynasty, is a mythical figure in Montreal. This will only increase the pressure he faces in a city where passion for "La Sainte-Flanelle" borders on the pathological.
But his management credentials were earned in Minnesota and Texas, where he turned the Stars into one of the game’s elite teams, winning a Stanley Cup in 1999. His hiring as the new Montreal GM represents the Canadiens’ best chance yet to escape the trench of mediocrity they have been digging for the last ten years.
It was obviously a mistake to write off the Anaheim Mighty Ducks after they dropped the opening games of the Stanley Cup Final. The New Jersey Devils remain a good bet to win the Cup, but their recent habit of blowing two-game leads suggests that the 2003 Devils are not quite as solid as previous Jersey champions.
This could be the last championship chance for several key Devils. Martin Brodeur will be in net for several years to come. But Scott Stevens is 39 and Joe Nieuwendyk almost 37. Scott Niedermayer could be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Maple Leafs are not getting any younger either. The Flyers are always in flux and the Senators will soon have too many players they cannot afford. If Gainey can revive the Canadiens, the Eastern Conference could look very different in a couple of years.
The great powers of the West are looking vulnerable as well. The current edition of the Red Wings probably has just one season left. Colorado and Dallas have been inconsistent for the last couple of years.
A more immediate sign of change is seen in the goaltending whirligig, which is picking up steam. Patrick Roy retired and Roman Cechmanek was traded, leaving Colorado and Philadelphia in search of top goaltending, which both teams can well afford. Expect several more dominoes to fall before the goaltending picture is settled for next year, which could lead to significant upheaval in the standings.
Add the growing chorus of voices calling for rule changes to encourage scoring, and the possibility of a labor war in 2004, and it becomes easy to speculate that the NHL is approaching the end of an era. The teams, the game and the business are all in a state of transition.
More on the Stanley Cup Finals:
Another Dud!
