1999 Lewis Cup Finals

The 1999 Lewis Cup Finals was the first all-Canadian Final since the Windsor Wings defeated the Hamilton Kings in 1941. The Montreal Royale, the Lewis Cup winners in 1992 and ’95, faced the Winnipeg Pioneers, a team making their first-ever appearance in the Lewis Cup Finals. In the opening game, Zdeno Kadlec’s two-goal performance led Montreal to a 3-1 win, followed by a shutout for Jonathan Bouret in game two to give Montreal a 2-0 series lead. The series shifted to the CanaDome in Winnipeg for game three and the entire city was buzzing with excitement. Fans lined up down Portage Street hours before tickets went on sale. The Pioneers did not let their home crowd down, as Dan Crow and Brendon Dawson each scored in a 2-1 win. Two nights later, game four went into overtime, where Jason Whitaker scored the winner to tie the series.

Back in Montreal for game five, the Royale needed their top players to step up. Vincent Ducharme, who had not scored since game one, had a goal and three assists while Bouret stopped 43 shots as Montreal took the game 4-1 to earn an opportunity to take the Cup in game six. With the Lewis Cup in the building for game six, the Pioneers were in desperation mode. Ducharme opened the scoring, but Crow tied it just two minutes later. After Sergei Vetrov gave the Royale the lead again, Trevor Nolan tied it for the second time. The game went into overtime and just 42 seconds in, Vetrov had the Cup winner on his stick but put it just over the net. Luke Morrison stopped nine shots in the first overtime before finally, Ryan Cobb scored on a breakaway to force a game seven. “If we had been told at the start of the season that we’d be playing game seven of the finals, we’d take it” said Vincent Ducharme. “We just need to stay focused.”

Game seven was in Montreal but fans also packed the CanaDome back in Winnipeg to watch it on the big screen. Through the first period, both goaltenders stood on their heads, as the game remained scoreless. Six minutes into the second period, Sylvain Landry took a penalty for boarding and Winnipeg went on the powerplay. For two minutes, the Pioneers peppered Jonathan Bouret with shots, but Bouret stood tall as the Royale killed the penalty. Just three minutes into the third period, Jarkko Vesa’s slapshot made its way through traffic and into the net to give the Royale a 1-0 lead. Winnipeg pushed for the tying goal throughout the third period but Bouret was spectacular. The Pioneers pulled Morrison but could not solve Bouret. Finally, with just eight seconds left, Evan Flowers dumped the puck out as the clock ran down to zero. The crowd erupted as the Royale mobbed their heroic goaltender. Bouret was named playoff MVP and the Montreal Royale were presented their third Lewis Cup of the decade. As the team skated with the Cup, Head Coach Don Shelburne revealed in an interview that he had coached his final game. “I can’t imagine ending my career a better way” said the now six-time champion.

1999 Playoffs

After another strong showing in the regular season, many expected the Minnesota Lumberjacks to claim their third Lewis Cup of the decade in 1999. Facing the Vancouver Bighorns in the first round, a team that had not won a playoff series since 1993, many even predicted a sweep. After the ‘Jacks won game one, the Bighorns took the series lead with two stunning OT victories in games two and three. After Minnesota tied the series back up in game four, the Bighorns won a thriller in game five to retake the series lead. If they wanted to avoid the upset and defend their title, Minnesota had to win game six on the road. Game six was the third game of the series to go into overtime. Christian Grayson held down the fort for the Lumberjacks through the first overtime, but just minutes into the second overtime, veteran Bruce Blackwell ended the game and the series with a wrist shot that found the top corner of the net. Vancouver had pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever, while the Lumberjacks’ season was suddenly over. Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Twisters took seven games to eliminate the Seattle Grey Wolves, the Winnipeg Pioneers had the second big upset of the year over the Los Angeles Wizards, defeating them in five games, and the Chicago Shamrocks took out the California Nuggets in six games.

In the east, the Long Island Concordes weren’t expected to put up much of a fight against the Montreal Royale. The Concordes stunned the Royale in the first three games, taking a 2-1 series lead. Knowing they could not afford to fall behind 3-1, the Royale eked out a 4-3 win in game four to tie the series. In game five, Vincent Ducharme was knocked out of the game after a devastating hit from Concordes defenseman Riley Gardiner. The Royale hung on for the win, but knew they needed to respond to the hit. In game six, the Royale dressed enforcer Ryan McCarthy and McCarthy immediately went after Gardiner, fighting him in the first period. The Royale had responded to the hit but without Ducharme in the lineup, lost the game 4-3. The series would go to a seventh and deciding game in Montreal. Ducharme returned for game seven and even scored the opening goal, while Zdeno Kadlec, Sergei Vetrov, and Todd Paterson each scored in a decisive 4-0 victory to take the series.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Redshirts also went to seven games to upset the Toronto Racers, while the Washington Generals defeated the Cleveland Cosmos in six, and Pittsburgh upset the New York Ciivcs in five games.

In Round two, the Winnipeg Pioneers entered their series with Chicago determined to carry the momentum from their first round upset. After Winnipeg won game one, the Shamrocks managed to get their act together in game two, tying the series with a 4-3 win. In Winnipeg for game three, Luke Morrison was the hero in net, stopping 42 shots in a 2-0 shutout. After a 4-2 win in game four, the Pioneers held a commanding 3-1 series lead. Back in Chicago for game five, Vladimir Gaganov scored early to give the Shamrocks a 1-0 lead, but it would be the final goal of his career. Goals from Trevor Nolan and Ryan Cobb gave Winnipeg a 2-1 win and a 4-1 series victory. After the handshake line, Gaganov skated around the Garfield Center, waving and saluting the crowd.

In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Generals struggled to stay a step ahead of the Philadelphia Redshirts. After just edging out Philly in game one 1-0, the Generals were embarrassed on home ice in game two as the Redshirts took a 7-2 victory. After the teams split the two games in Philadelphia, they headed back to DC tied 2-2. Game five ended in controversy, Washington led 2-1 when Jeff Waters’ shot beat Jake Borman and appeared to roll across the goal line for just a split second. The goal was reviewed and ultimately disallowed due to lack of evidence that the puck actually crossed the line. The Redshirts were irate, especially when TV replays all but confirmed that the puck had crossed the line. Washington sealed the win with an empty-net goal to lead the series 3-2. Philadelphia had to quickly get over the hard feelings from game five, now facing elimination at home. Gustav Mattsen opened the scoring and Jared Baxter scored just minutes later to give Philly a 2-0 lead. Halfway through the third period, Dwayne Ingram brought the Generals to within a goal but it would be the closest they would get. The series would go to a game seven at JFK Arena. As if to redeem himself after the disallowed goal, Jeff Waters opened the scoring for Philly, but unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough. Washington exploded for four goals in the second period and never allowed the Redshirts back into the game. The Generals were headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in four years.

In the Conference Finals, the Generals would face the powerful Montreal Royale, who had eliminated Pittsburgh in five games in round two, while the Cinderella Winnipeg Pioneers would take on the heavily favoured Kansas City Twisters, a team coming off a hard-fought six game series against Vancouver. Though the Pioneers had been playing some of the best hockey in their history, nobody dreamed they would beat the Twisters, a team that finished 21 points ahead of them in the standings. Dan Crow was spectacular for the Pioneers in the first two games, scoring three goals in the two games as the Pioneers stunned the Twisters in Kansas City with two big wins. Back at the CanaDome in Winnipeg, the Pioneers made the most of home ice advantage, winning game three 2-1 and game four 1-0 in overtime to complete the sweep and advance to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time in their 33-year history. “We’re ecstatic right now” said GM Jacques Fortune. “It’s been a long time coming for this franchise but we still have another big step to make.”

The night after the Pioneers advanced, the Montreal Royale faced a pivotal game five against the Washington Generals. With the series tied 2-2, game five would be critical. The teams were deadlocked 1-1 until the third period, when Vincent Ducharme scored two goals in what would be a 4-1 Montreal win, giving them a chance to meet Winnipeg in the finals. Washington would come out strong in game six as it went into overtime. Both Jake Borman and Jonathan Bouret played valiantly in net, as one overtime became two, then three. Finally, nearing the end of the third overtime, 21-year veteran JC Girard finally ended the marathon with 3:42 left, sending the Royale to the Lewis Cup Finals for the fifth time in the 1990s. 

1998-99 Regular Season

The 1998-99 PHL regular season got off to an unusual start, as six teams opened the season abroad. On opening night the Chicago Shamrocks and Toronto Racers played the first of a home-and-home series against each other in Moscow. It was the first time ever that the league played regular season games in Europe and it was a big success, as over 16,000 fans turned out to see the games. Just prior to the second game, Vladimir Gaganov took the opportunity to announce his retirement at season’s end. Gaganov was given a standing ovation after the game from the Russian fans. Two weeks into the season, Montreal and New York faced off in Stockholm, Sweden. 14,000 fans packed into the arena as the Royale defeated the Civics in both games. In December, Los Angeles and Minnesota completed the Europe Series in Prague, where the teams split the home-and-home and Minnesota’s Pavel Vana treated his hometown to a two-goal performance in the second game. Overall, the games in Europe were considered a big success, immediately leading to fan speculation about possible expansion overseas. Darryl Byrd quickly dismissed the rumours, saying it was more likely the league would continue to send teams over for a series each year then actually add franchises in Europe.

As his final season continued, Vladimir Gaganov inched closer and closer to two important milestones. On December 9, Gaganov became the third player in PHL history to scored 800 goals. Then, just three weeks later, he scored point number 1812 to pass Stuart Holly for third place on the all-time scoring list and confirm his status as the greatest European player in the league’s history.

The regular season belonged to the reigning Lewis Cup Champions, as the Minnesota Lumberjacks took first place overall with 112 points, as the only team in the league to win 50 games. Jason Crowley and Pavel Vana finished 1^st and 2^nd in league scoring, marking the first time ever that teammates took the top two spots. After an underachieving year in ’97-98, the Kansas City Twisters won the Central Division with 101 points as Brett Delaney enjoyed a 93-point season. Despite Gaganov’s successful fairwell season, Chicago slid to fourth, their lowest finish since 1992.

For the first time in their brief history, the Dallas Desperadoes looked like a playoff contender throughout the year. AJ Vernon had a breakout season with 36 goals while Alexei Rolonov finished third in Whyte Trophy voting in only his third season. The Desperadoes were engaged in a tight race with the Vancouver Bighorns throughout the final weeks of the regular season. Dallas held the final playoff spot until an 8-game winning streak for the Bighorns put them in eighth place. After winning their final game of the season in Denver, Dallas only needed a Vancouver loss. The Bighorns trailed Los Angeles until the third period, when Tory Partridge tied the game. Early in overtime, Andrei Yegorov scored to send Vancouver back to the post-season and eliminate the Desperadoes from playoff contention. It was a disappointing end for what was a breakout season in Dallas, but the Desperadoes remained optimistic about their future. “As disappointing as this is, we made some huge steps as a franchise, next year, the playoffs will be our goal” said GM Ross Becker.

In the East, the Philadelphia Redshirts were celebrating a century of hockey. On opening night, several Redshirt legends were honoured in a pre-game ceremony including Gil Parsons, David Zimmer, Gary Johnson, Tom Lapin, and Ben Jenkins, the oldest living player from the team’s history. The Redshirts also wore three retro jerseys throughout the season from different periods of the teams’ history and held special “Vintage Nights” were all the food prices reflected those of the era being celebrated. “I think the fans really enjoyed the five cent beers in 1940s night” said team president Bob Wells Jr. The Redshirts’ performance on the ice was solid throughout the year. Jared Baxter led the team in scoring while Jonathan Stafford’s veteran leadership also came with 67 points as Philly took second place in the Atlantic.

 In Montreal, the talented Royale were enjoying a strong year when in late November, New Orleans forward Chad McLean attacked Vincent Ducharme with a vicious cross-check to the face. Ducharme suffered a fractured cheekbone and missed only two games, returning with a full-facemask, but head coach and GM Don Shelburne had seen enough. Tired of seeing Ducharme targeted night after night, Shelburne made a trade with St. Louis, acquiring 6’6”, 246 lb tough guy Ryan McCarthy to act as Ducharme’s “bodyguard”. In McCarthy’s first game with the Royale, he immediately dropped the gloves with Washington defenseman Dwayne Ingram, sending a clear message to the league that Montreal would not be pushed around. No longer having to look over his shoulder all the time, Ducharme won the Cleveland Cup as the league’s top scorer and the Royale took first place in the Eastern Conference, just barely edging out Washington and New York. The Toronto Racers, despite losing some talent to the new salary cap, still managed a fourth-place finish as Joe Murdock proved his incredible rookie season was no fluke, leading the team in scoring once again with 91 points.

Heading towards the end of the regular season, the Eastern Conference once again saw one of the tightest playoff races ever. Long Island, Detroit, Miami, and Carolina all battled for the eighth and final spot with Quebec also emerging as a dark horse as the season drew to a close. Carolina, bogged down by injuries all year, was the first to fall out of the race with two tough road losses in early April. Miami held the final position with the Concordes and Mustangs in close pursuit. The Stingrays needed only a win in their final game against Washington to clinch the spot, but lost in a heartbreaker as the Generals, involved in a race of their own for first place, won with just six minutes left. Now the Rays needed help form two teams as Detroit faced Cleveland and Long Island faced Boston. If Detroit won, their record would be identical to Miami’s but they would get in as they had swept the season series. The Mustangs fought hard to come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the Cosmos, before receiving the devastating news that Long Island had beaten the Bulldogs, clinching the final playoff position. As the heartbroken Mustangs prepared for overtime, head coach Cliff Lyle spoke up. “We still need to win this game, for our fans and for each other” said Lyle. Eric Thorn was the hero for Detroit, scoring with 20 seconds remaining in overtime to end the season with a win. Meanwhile, the Concordes were ecstatic to be returning to the post-season for the first time in five years. Their chances were slim facing the powerful Royale in the first round, but the team was just proud to be back. “This is the best moment of my career!” said star forward Ryan Shelton, who had yet to play in a playoff game. “I’m just excited to finally play some playoff hockey.”

Redshirts Prepare For Centennial Celebration

The oldest hockey franchise in the United States, the Philadelphia Redshirts, will celebrate one hundred seasons of existence in 1998-99. The team was founded in 1899 as the Philadelphia Hockey Club and dominated the amateur hockey leagues in the eastern United States until 1924, when the team went professional as a member of the American Professional Hockey Association. In 1939, the team was one of the founding members of the Professional Hockey League.

For their 100th anniversary celebration, the Redshirts will bring back several important players from their history, including the oldest surviving player in franchise history, 87-year-old Ben Jenkins. "This is an important season in our history" said franchise owner Bob Wells Jr. "We have a lot to be proud of as a franchise and we look forward to celebrating it with our fans."

1998 Off-Season

1998 Entry Draft

The 1998 Entry Draft was historical for a few reasons. Fewer Canadians were selected in the first round than ever before in the PHL draft. Only nine were picked, while Americans outnumbered their Northern neighbors in the first round for the first time ever. Mikael Malmberg was selected first overall out of the Swedish Elite League. Malmberg, a late 1979 birthday, was able to play pro a year early. Big forward Kyle Mathis went second to Edmonton, his hometown team, while Plattsburgh, NY native and former high school star Darren Reid was selected third by New Orleans. Other interesting pics included Anders Almgren, whose father was one of the greatest coaches in Swedish Elite league history, and goaltender Mark Davis, selected 26^th by Toronto. Davis had suffered two broken legs at age 13 and was told he would never play competitive sports again. After two years of intense rehab, Davis returned in time to dominate in high school, then play a year in the NCAA, where he shot up the draft rankings.

1.      DEN – Mikael Malmberg, D, SWE

2.      EDM – Kyle Mathis, F, CAN

3.      NOS – Darren Reid, F, USA

4.      BOS – Igor Nokavich, D, RUS

5.      DAL – Shawn Marchinski, F, CAN

6.      MIL – Riko Nokalainen, F, FIN

7.      VAN – Pascal Lemaire, F, CAN

8.      CGY – Justin Timmins, F, CAN

9.      LI – Trevor Keller, F, USA

10.   CHI (From MIA) – Alan Morrow, D, USA

11.   QUE – Todd McDonald, F, CAN

12.   DET – Kevin Smith, D, USA

13.   KC – Paul Hrlac, F, CZE

14.   STL – Anders Almgren, F, SWE

15.   PHI – Brett Zink, D, CAN

16.   WPG – Joni Kita, F, FIN

17.   CAR – Chris May, D, CAN

18.   SEA – Sergei Kruev, F, RUS

19.   PIT – Adam Tanzer, F, GER

20.   CLE – Ryan Hardy, G, USA

21.   LA – Patrick Gaines, F, USA

22.   MTL – Jean Pierre Cote, D, CAN

23.   WSH – Luke Moyer, D, CAN

24.   MIN – Jozef Banik, F, SVK

25.   CAL – Ted Brown, D, USA

26.   TOR – Mark Davis, G, USA

27.   NYC – Alexei Bobarov, F, RUS

28.   CHI – Jared Young, F, USA

Notable Retirements:

Niklas Ekberg, F, STL, 1979-1998

Though he was largely overshadowed by David Appleby and Grant Millen, Ekberg still played an important depth role in the St. Louis dynasty of the 1980s, even scoring the winning goals in the 1984 and 86 finals. After other key parts of the dynasty left during the 1990s, Ekberg remained in St. Louis for the remainder of his career, seriving as an important leader and mentor to the younger players on the team.

Jakob Martensson, G, PIT, DEN, 1982-1998

Martensson backstopped one of the more powerful franchises through the 1980s. The Pittsburgh Stingers appeared in four Lewis Cup finals through the decade and won it all in 1985 with Martensson playing an important role each time. In 1996, Martensson left Pittsburgh and signed with the Denver Bulls, where he would finish his career.

Magnus Swedberg, F, PHI, TOR, KC, 1982-1998

One of the most talented European players in PHL history, Magnus Swedberg played a big role on all three teams he played for. Swedberg helped Philadelphia to a Lewis Cup finals appearance in 1989, but never returned to the championship, playing nine more seasons in Toronto and Kansas City before retiring.

Notable Trades

Chicago trades D Theo Sprouse to Miami in exchange for 1^st round pick.

The Shamrocks make the first in a slew of cap-related trades over the summer. Sprouse’s departure gets Chicago under the new salary cap while the Stingrays hope his arrival in Florida will mean a return to the playoffs.

Washington trades F Maxime Trepanier to Calgary in exchange for D Ben Parsons.

Parsons’ entry-level cap hit is more manageable for the Generals than Trepanier’s $2 Million. Trepanier will give the Wranglers some much-needed depth.

Los Angeles trades F Gustav Mattsen to Philadelphia in exchange for F Owen Betts.

In another cap move, the Wizards are forced to part ways with one of their star forwards. Betts adds size and grit to the LA offense, while Mattsen brings speed and a natural scoring ability to Philly.

Seattle trades D Olle Ragnarsson to Dallas in exchange for D Luke Ferguson.

In a last-minute move to get under the cap, the Wolves move Ragnarsson to Dallas at the conclusion of the pre-season. Ragnarsson is expected to significantly improve the Desperadoes defense.

Key Free Agents

AJ Vernon signs new 10-year deal with Dallas worth $8 Million/year.

Igor Zharkov signs new 6-year deal with Washington worth $7 Million/year.

AJ Devries signs new 12-year deal with Vancouver worth $6 Million/year.

Jeremy Kitchen (NYC) signs 4-year deal with Kansas City worth $5 Million/year.

The Twisters replace Magnus Swedberg with star veteran Kitchen, who was forced out of New York when the Civics couldn’t afford to re-sign him.

Ali Leino (CAL) signs 7-year deal with Calgary worth $5 Million/year.

The Wranglers continue to improve their roster with the addition of Leino, who will be looked at as a leader on the Calgary blueline.

Scott Whitmore (TOR) signs 3-year deal with Washington worth $4 Million/year.

Whitmore is released by the Racers, and will now face immense pressure in Washington after the Generals had to move key pieces to fit Whitmore under the cap.

News

The biggest news item in 1998 was the announcement of six cities applying for expansion. Houston, Phoenix, Portland, Atlanta, Tampa, and Baltimore would all be reviewed by an expansion committee beginning in the summer of 1999. Byrd stated that preferably, one western city and one eastern city would be chosen. Among the rejected cities were Las Vegas, San Antonio, Anaheim, Orlando, Memphis, Newark, and Ottawa, where a new arena will finally be built in 2002. Tampa expressed interest at the last minute but submitted a bid that was too impressive for Byrd to turn down. “I believe any of these six markets would serve our league well” said Byrd. “We’ll let the expansion committee decide it from here.”

In California the Nuggets finally secured a new arena in the Bay area. The team announced it would be relocating to Oakland in time for the 2000-01 season. The city of Oakland agreed to pay for 60 percent of the construction costs with several conditions, most notably that the team be renamed the Oakland Nuggets.

In other arena news two teams announced plans for new buildings. Los Angeles Wizards President Stuart Holly announced plans for a new arena to be built across the parking lot from Inglewood Colosseum. The arena would open in the spring of 2001 with the Wizards moving in in time for the 2001-02 season. The St. Louis Spirits also secured financing for a new arena with the hope it would be built in time for 2001-02.

When the 1998-99 schedule was released, the league announced six regular season games to take place in Europe early in the regular season. The Toronto Racers and Chicago Shamrocks would play two games in Moscow, the Montreal Royale would play the New York Civics twice in Stockholm, and the Los Angeles Wizards and Minnesota Lumberjacks would play two games in Prague. “These games will play a big role in expanding our global footprint” said commissioner Darryl Byrd.

There was also sad news out of Minnesota, as Bobby Sorel, the legendary Lumberjacks goaltender, was diagnosed with Cancer. In July, doctors determined that Sorel was terminally ill and likely had less than two years to live. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Bobby and his family during this time. Bobby has meant a lot to this organization and this community over the years.” said Lumberjacks owner Gil McCarthy. Sorel stated that he would continue as the team’s goaltending coach as long as he could.

1998 Realignment

In the summer of 1998, the PHL finally underwent a divisional realignment to properly  accommodate franchise relocation and expansion through 1990s as well as future expansion. In the new configuration, each conference will now feature three divisions. Four divisions will include five teams while two will include four teams. The Western Conference will feature the North Division, Pacific Division, and Central Division, while the Eastern Conference will feature the Northeast Division, the Atlantic Division, and the South Division.

Grey Wolves, Twisters Unveil New Uniforms

Since taking over as General Manager of the Seattle Grey Wolves in 1991, Bobby Vail  had always wanted to update the team's look. The opportunity finally came in 1998 as Seattle unveiled a new logo and new uniforms for the first time in franchise history. The new logo features a snarling wolf while the uniforms retain the Grey and Green color scheme with Black added. "The new look is definitely more aggressive and intimidating, I think it suits the group we have very well" said Vail.

Kansas City also updated their uniforms as part of their tenth anniversary celebration. The logo remains similar to the original with the colors rearranged and the text removed. The uniforms have been updated to feature a unique striping pattern on each shoulder meant to resemble a tornado. 

The Twisters also unveiled a tenth anniversary logo, which will be worn on the front corner of the jersey. The Miami Stingrays also unveiled their tenth anniversary logo, which will also be worn on the front corner of the uniform.

Finally, three more teams unveiled third jerseys for the 1998-99. The Toronto Racers, Dallas Desperadoes, and Edmonton Northern Lights all added alternate uniforms. Meanwhile, the California Nuggets retired their black road uniforms, making their popular teal alternates the new road jerseys.