2002 Off-season

2002 Entry Draft

The 2002 PHL draft was projected to be the strongest draft class since the famous 1986 draft. Edmonton won the draft lottery and predictably selected big Kris Nazarenko first overall. Nazarenko was predicted to be unlike any other player in league history with an unprecedented mix of size and skill. The 6’3”, 219-pound center led the entire Canadian Junior Hockey Association in scoring two years in a row, leading his hometown Moose Jaw Moose to a national championship. With the second pick, Cleveland selected talented American defenseman Ian Hunter, who had committed to Notre Dame but said he would play for the Cosmos right away if given the opportunity. Just before the third selection, Darryl Byrd announced that the Atlanta Copperheads had acquired the third pick from Washington in exchange for veterans Marc Brunelle and Jordan O’Reilly. The Copperheads used the third pick to take Jason Ferland, a troubled but talented winger from Moncton. Denver took the first Russian, Nikolai Kronin, while Winnipeg rounded out the top five with the selection of Jamie Moore, whose father, Austin Moore, was a legendary junior coach. Other interesting picks included Atlanta pick Jody Graves, the great-grandson of former Philadelphia Redshirt Donald Graves, and Spirits pick Tobias Grunberg, who was predicted to be the greatest German-born player of all time.

1.      Edmonton – Kris Nazarenko, F, CAN

2.      Cleveland – Ian Hunter, D, USA

3.      Atlanta (From Washington) – Jason Ferland, F, CAN

4.      Denver – Nikolai Kronin, D, RUS

5.      Winnipeg – Jamie Moore, F, CAN

6.      Toronto – Sean MacDonald, D, CAN

7.      Portland – Daniel Boivre, G, CAN

8.      Atlanta – Jody Graves, D, CAN

9.      Calgary – Kyle Logan, D, CAN

10.   Quebec – Saku Vertainen, G, FIN

11.   St. Louis – Tobias Grunberg, F, GER

12.   Carolina - Matt Wells, D, CAN

13.   Long Island – Nathan Webb, D, CAN

14.   Boston (From Oakland) – Jeffery Simpkins, F, USA

15.   New Orleans – Ryan Aldridge, D, CAN

16.   New York – Todd Morgan, F, CAN

17.   Detroit – Brent Mitchell, F, CAN

18.   Los Angeles – Mats Jonasson, D, SWE

19.   Vancouver – Taylor Bennett, F, CAN

20.   Boston – Brayden McPherson, D, CAN

21.   Milwaukee – Luke Wilkerson, F, GB

22.   Chicago – Kari Nurminen, G, FIN

23.   Pittsburgh - Ryan Osborne, F, USA

24.   Dallas – Evgeni Tatarov, F, RUS

25.   Montreal – Pascal Dubois, D, CAN

26.   Miami – Thomas Norberg, D, SWE

27.   Philadelphia – Andrei Ilyukhin, F, RUS

28.   Seattle – Roman Novatny, F, CZE

29.   Kansas City – Austin Harvey, F, USA

30.   Minnesota – Dylan Schalcher, F, SWZ

Notable Retirements:

Theo Sprouse, D, LI, CHI, MIA, 1982-2002

It didn’t take long for Theo Sprouse to become one of the Concorde’s most dynamic players with his offensive ability and physical presence. Sprouse helped Long Island to the Lewis Cup finals twice in the 80s in 1984 and ’88. In 1990, Sprouse played a big role in bringing the Lewis Cup to Long Island. In 1992, Sprouse left Long Island for Chicago, where he won his second cup in 1994. In 1998, Sprouse signed with Miami, where he retired.

Ted McDougall, F, BOS, LI, CHI, LA, 1985-2002

The pride of Prince Edward Island, Ted McDougall was the Island’s first established player to play in the PHL. Drafted by Boston, McDougall eventually arrived in Long Island just in time to win the Lewis Cup with the Concordes in 1990. McDougall nearly won a second cup in 1995 as a member of the Chicago Shamrocks when they lost to Montreal. McDougall finished his career in Los Angeles, where he spent his final two seasons.

Gustav Janssen, D, DET, NYC, 1982-2002

Janssen served as a steady defenseman for the Detroit Mustangs for twelve years. When the Mustangs fell on hard times in the 1990s, Janssen was dealt to the New York Civics in 1994, where he won his first and only Lewis Cup in 1997. Janssen continued to play a veteran role for the Civics until 2002.

Graham Boswell, F, CHI, QUE, MIL, 1982-2002

Though Boswell was mostly known as a physical role player throughout his career, but he was also known for scoring one of the most famous goals in PHL history, known by many simply as “The Goal”. In 1983, Boswell scored the overtime winner in game seven of the Lewis Cup Finals against Pittsburgh, giving Chicago their first cup since 1955. Boswell went on to play 20 seasons with Chicago, Quebec, and one final season in Milwaukee.

Trevor Ramsey, F, CGY, MTL, CAR, EDM, BOS, 1983-2002

A dependable two-way player, Trevor Ramsey played a big role in two of Montreal’s three cups in the 90s. Ramsey also retires as one of the most travelled PHLers, having played for five franchises.

Notable Trades

Washington trades 1^st-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for F Marc Brunelle and D Jordan O’Reilly.

The Generals get two top-tier players in an effort to return to contention, while the Copperheads are now able to draft two key building blocks in Jason Ferland and Jody Graves.

Oakland trades 1^st round pick and F Luca Schober to Boston in exchange for G Kevin Washer.

In an attempt to fill out their roster and continue to build for the future, the Bulldogs part with their star goaltender, picking up a solid prospect and a pick while Oakland hopes to return to the playoffs.

Long Island trades F Kim Brodie to Philadelphia in exchange for F Alexei Ivanov.

Former all-star Brodie will chase his first title in the twilight of his career, while the Concordes add a solid prospect.

Key Free Agents

Resignings:

RFAs:

F Brad McNair signs new 10-year deal with New Orleans worth $12 Million/year.

D Matt Andersson signs new 8-year deal with Boston worth $10 Million/year.

F Jay Phoenix signs new 8-year deal with Quebec worth $6 Million/year.

F Brandon Kelso signs new 7-year deal with Edmonton worth $6 Million/year.

F Ryan Woods signs new 4-year deal with Miami worth $4 Million/year.

G Blair Kelsey signs new 3-year deal with Cleveland worth $4 Million/year.

UFAs:

F Sergei Vetrov (MTL) signs 5-year deal with Miami worth $10 Million/year.

Vincent Ducharme’s former right-hand man will now try to work similar magic alongside Eric Moon in Florida.

F Ilya Sakharov (STL) signs 6-year deal with Los Angeles worth $9 Million/year.

Sakharov is the latest star to leave the Spirits, bringing natural scoring ability to LA.

F Brendan Bittner (PIT) signs 6-year deal with Milwaukee worth $8.5 Million/year.

The Choppers add more size up front with the 6’4” 221 lb Bittner.

F Viktor Skogg (LA) signs 2-year deal with Montreal worth $8 Million/year.

With the Sakharov signing, the Wizards lack cap room to re-sign their aging captain. Royale hope Skogg will replace offense lost from Vetrov.

D Jonathan Adams (MTL) signs 2-year deal with Vancouver worth $4 Million/year.

Hard-hitting Kamloops native hopes to end his career close to home after 16 seasons between Calgary and Montreal.

G Todd Waddell (SEA) signs 5-year deal with Vancouver worth $3 Million/year.

Grey Wolves backup finally gets opportunity as a starter with the rival Bighorns.

News

The 2002 off-season kicked off with big news in Toronto. After a dismal finish to the season, the team fired Head Coach Bob Lacey, leading to much speculation of who his replacement would be. That speculation increased just prior to the draft when GM Bobby Kitchen was also dismissed. Both searches ended on June 28, when former Racers enforcer Rex Hull was named the team’s new Head Coach and General Manager. Hull was one of the most popular players ever to wear the double blue, spending 18 seasons with the Racers from 1978 to 1996 and still holds the team’s all-time record for penalty minutes.

In other coaching news, the Washington Generals fired head coach Doug Sharp, replacing him with former Bulldogs coach Gary Shantz, while 70-year-old David Zimmer decided to step aside as the Miami Stingrays head coach to focus on the GM duties. Zimmer hired former PHL star and successful junior coach Dennis Lambert as the new Stingrays Head Coach.

After the success of the 2001 Holiday Classic, the league announced there would be a second one in December, 2002. This one would take place at Empire Stadium in New York City and would feature the New York Civics and the Montreal Royale. “The game last year was a big hit with the players and fans” said a league spokesperson. “It makes sense to make it an annual event.” Speaking of events, the 2004 World Hockey Challenge will be held in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm beat out Helsinki, London, and Montreal for hosting rights.

With the PHL’s uniform deal with SporTech set to expire in 2004, several sports equipment companies were lining up to become the exclusive provider of PHL game uniforms. SporTech, desperate to make up for losing their PBL deal, made a bid to renew the contract, while Canadian-based Windsor Hockey also made a strong bid. Windsor Hockey, which began as a small stick factory in Nova Scotia in 1891, had grown to become one of the biggest equipment brands in the sport, now providing skates, gloves, and helmets, as well as sticks to nearly 30 percent of PHL players. Windsor was also the exclusive equipment provider for the Canadian Junior leagues, and would become the uniform provider for international hockey beginning in 2003. Finally, one of the biggest sporting equipment giants in the world, Duke Sports, made a bid for the uniforms. Duke pledged to “reinvent” the hockey uniform while maintaining the Aesthetic traditions. Duke had perhaps the most impressive pedigree of the three companies, providing equipment and uniforms for everything ranging from the Olympics to College Football for almost 100 years.

2002 Lewis Cup Finals

The 2002 Lewis Cup Finals began on May 29 in Seattle. It was Seattle’s first time in the Finals since 1985 while the Miami Stingrays made their first appearance. Across the city of Seattle, Grey Wolves colors could be seen everywhere. The Space Needle had a giant banner with the words “Go Wolves!!” hanging from it.

Miami opened the scoring in game one with a point shot that was deflected by Jonas Andersson. The lead didn’t last long though, as Drake Klausen tied it just two minutes later. Two quick goals from Jason Radford and Randy McAllen gave Seattle a 3-1 lead and Miami never recovered, as the Wolves took a 1-0 series lead. Game two was all Seattle, as Olli Heikkinen and Luke Mann each scored while Sean Harrington made 34 saves in a 2-0 Seattle win.

The series shifted to Miami for game 3, where the excitement throughout south Florida was at least equal to that in Seattle. The Castillo Center was packed with screaming fans nearly an hour before puck drop. With the crowd behind them, the Stingrays jumped to an early 2-0 lead with goals from Eric Moon and Theo Sprouse. The lead held until the beginning of the third period, when Randy McAllen’s powerplay goal cut the lead to 2-1. With 1:21 left, the Wolves pulled Harrington and pressed hard for the tying goal, until Stingrays captain Jeremy Sutton shot the puck the length of the ice into the empty net to seal the win.

After a hard-fought win in game 3, the Stingrays were still alive. “I think we have the momentum we need to get back in this series” said Sutton. “We just can’t stop pushing.” Game four went into overtime with the game tied 1-1. Both Sean Harrington and Brandon Ward stood on their heads in net as both teams had several quality chances. Just as the second overtime began, Eric Moon thought he had the winner, even raising his arms in celebration. But Harrington made one of the most spectacular saves in Lewis Cup Finals history, spinning around to swat the puck out with his stick. 40 seconds later, Syong Li hit Klausen with a pass and Klausen made no mistake, beating Ward to give the Grey Wolves a 2-1 win and a chance to claim the cup on home ice. The Stingrays tried to stay positive, but it was obvious that the loss affected them, especially after Moon’s missed opportunity. “That’s a tough one to take to be honest” said Moon. “We just need to find a way to regroup for game five.”

Both teams came out flying in game five, with four goals coming in the first ten minutes as the teams entered the second period tied 2-2. The Stingrays took the lead early in the second on a goal from Sutton, but Jason Radford quickly tied it. The 3-3 tie held until just under two minutes left in the third period, where Drake Klausen scored to give Seattle a stunning last-minute lead. Miami suddenly found themselves scrambling to tie the game, where Derek Snyder nearly beat Harrington to send it to overtime. But Jean-Francois Belanger cleared the puck into the empty Miami net to secure Seattle’s first-ever Lewis Cup victory. Drake Klausen was named playoff MVP with 17 goals in 24 playoff games. The victory was especially sweet for longtime captain Jason Radford, the only remaining player who had suited up for the Wolves in the 1985 final, and for Syong Li, who took nearly a decade to make the PHL after being drafted, then played for four teams in five years as well as several minor league teams before landing in Seattle in the summer of 2001. “This was a collective effort” said head coach Bruce Dickenson. “Everybody played their role to perfection, that’s why we’re the champions.”

2002 Playoffs

Round 1

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia (1) vs New Orleans (8)

The Sound made their first playoff appearance since their Atlantic Canada days against the defending champion Philadelphia Redshirts. New Orleans proved to be no match for the powerful Redshirts, as Philly jumped to a 3-0 lead right away. In game four, The Sound finally got their act together, forcing the game to overtime, where Darren Reid scored to give the team their first playoff win in New Orleans. Two nights later, Philadelphia ended the series with a decisive 3-0 win.

Miami (2) vs New York (7)

The home teams won the first four games and the series turned ugly towards the end of game four, as two line brawls followed a 6-0 New York rout. Game five was tied 2-2 until the final 20 seconds, when Derek Snyder scored the winner before Jeremy Sutton sealed it with an empty netter. In game six, Miami finally became the first road team to win a game, taking the series with a 3-1 game six win.

Montreal (3) vs Detroit (6)

Montreal’s first playoff run without Vincent Ducharme was surprisingly brief, as Detroit immediately took a 3-1 series lead. Igor Kharitonov was Detroit’s best player, scoring three big goals in the first four games. Montreal salvaged a win in game four at home, then had an opportunity to force it to a seventh game when game six went to overtime, but Detroit would complete the upset thanks to a goal in the second overtime from Eric Woods.

Pittsburgh (4) vs Boston (5)

The Boston Bulldogs made their return to the playoffs for the first time in five years against the favoured Pittsburgh Stingers. The series was tight, ultimately reaching a seventh game. In game seven, the Stingers scored early to take a 1-0 lead, which they would hold onto until the final minute of the third period, when Boston tied it with a goal from Scott Rose. In the first overtime, the Stingers pressed when Boston took two penalties to give Pittsburgh a 5-on-3. Rookie goaltender Chad Cohen made save after save for the Bulldogs as they managed to kill off both penalties. The game remained tied after two overtimes where rookie Chris Haines scored on a breakaway to win the series for Boston. “We all feel sick right now” said Pittsburgh captain Scott Lindsay.

Western Conference

Minnesota (1) vs Los Angeles (8)

The Lumberjacks entered the playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to win the Lewis Cup, and certainly to win their first round series against the Los Angeles Wizards, and so the hockey world was stunned when LA won the first two games both in overtime, both 3-2, with veterans Adam Lawless and Ted McDougal scoring the winning goals. Game three also went to overtime, where Jason Crowley hit the post before Lawless scored his second OT winner of the series. Game four was the fourth straight overtime game and LA defenseman Eric Hunt proved to be the hero as the Wizards completed one of the biggest upsets in PHL history in a series that was the first-ever four game sweep where all four games went to overtime.

Kansas City (2) vs Vancouver (7)

The Twisters and Bighorns met for the third time in four years and after losing game one 8-0, the Bighorns came closer than ever to finally beating the Twisters, taking them to a game seven after a hard-fought series. In game seven, Jimmy Otterburn made 31 saves in a shutout for Kansas City as the Twisters took the game 2-0 to eliminate the Bighorns once again.

Seattle (3) vs Milwaukee (6)

The Choppers struggled to find offense throughout the series, as the Grey Wolves shut them out by a combined score of 5-0 in the first two games. Milwaukee finally got a win at home in game three with thanks to goals from Patrice Goulet and Graham Boswell. The Choppers looked great in game four, but still lost 4-3 in overtime as Seattle took a 3-1 series lead. Boswell fought Scott Sherwood off the opening faceoff in an attempt to turn the momentum around. It wouldn’t work as Seattle shut the Choppers out once again 3-0 to take the series in what would be Boswell’s final PHL game.

Dallas (4) vs Chicago (5)

In a rematch from the 2001 playoffs, the Desperados hoped to exorcise some demons against the Shamrocks after a heartbreaking game seven loss. Chicago came out strong early in the series, taking a 2-1 series lead. But Dallas wasn’t finished, winning a hard-fought game four 3-2 thanks to a late goal from AJ Vernon. Dallas then won game five at home 4-1. Back in Chicago for game six, there was some controversy, as an early goal for Chicago was disallowed when it appeared that Chicago forward Cedric Thibault had interfered with Alexei Rolonov, even though Brent McGill had clearly pushed Thibault. Chicago never recovered, as Dallas won the game 4-2 to win their first series in franchise history.

Round 2

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia vs Detroit

The Detroit Mustangs entered the second round on a huge wave of momentum after their upset over Montreal. Still, they weren’t expected to continue their run facing the defending champions. In game one, the Mustangs continued to surprise the hockey world with a 3-0 win, then followed it up with two more wins to take a commanding series lead. Despite the shock of finding themselves facing elimination, the Redshirts still managed a 1-0 overtime win in game four. Game five was tight until the third period, when goals from Andrei Alexeev and Mikael Forsberg gave Detroit a 4-2 win and another upset.

Miami vs Boston

The Bulldogs were confident after their upset over the Stingers, but regular season leading scorer Eric Moon stole the show once again for Miami. Moon had two goals in game one, then a hat-trick in game three, as the Stingrays immediately jumped to a 3-0 series lead. Boston won a face-saver in game four but it was too little too late, as Miami advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Western Conference

 Kansas City vs Los Angeles

After two consecutive finals appearances, including a Lewis Cup victory in 2000, the Twisters couldn’t be blamed for a feeling of entitlement as they entered their second round matchup with the LA Wizards, a team coming off one of the biggest upsets in PHL history. After the teams split the first two games, the Twisters won game five 6-3 and never let the Wizards back into the series, taking game six 4-2 to return to the Western Conference Finals once again.

Seattle vs Dallas

After taking out Milwaukee in the first round, the Grey Wolves were once again the favorites in their second round matchup against the Dallas Desperados. The first four games were close and physical, as both teams tried to establish their physical presence. With the series tied 2-2 entering game five, both teams came out hitting. An AJ Vernon hit early in the game forced Drake Klausen out and he would not return. Despite losing Klausen, Seattle prevailed in a high scoring game 5-4. Heading home for game six, Dallas was now on the ropes. The Desperados put up a valiant effort in game six, but it would not be enough, as Seattle advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a 3-2 win.

Conference Finals

Miami vs Detroit

The Eastern Conference Finals featured the red-hot Miami Stingrays against the Detroit Mustangs, a team appearing in the conference finals for the first time in 28 years. Miami took control of the series early, taking a 3-1 lead. Game five went to triple overtime where Patrick Fletcher won it for Detroit to bring the Mustangs back into the series. After the marathon in game five, both teams were tired in game six, where early goals from Eric Moon and Ryan Woods gave Miami a 2-0 lead. Kharitonov scored for Detroit on the powerplay but that was all the Mustangs had left, as the Stingrays took game six and advanced to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Kansas City vs Seattle

It was déjà vu in the Western Conference Finals, as the Kansas City Twisters and Seattle Grey Wolves met in a rematch from the previous year. Like the year before, Kansas City took an early 2-0 series lead, followed by a Seattle home win in game three. In game four, however, the Twisters dominated the third period en route to a 5-2 win and a 3-1 series lead. It appeared that the expansion class of 1989 would be the matchup for the 2002 Lewis Cup Finals. In game five, Seattle staved off elimination with a big 3-1 win on the road, then took the Twisters to double overtime in game six, where 20-year veteran Jason Radford beat Jimmy Otterburn to give Seattle the win and force game seven. In game seven, Syong Li was the unlikely hero, scoring what would prove to be the winning goal while Sean Harrington made 46 saves in a 1-0 Seattle win. The Grey Wolves had come all the way back from a 3-1 deficit and would now play for the Lewis Cup.

2001-02 Regular Season

After some key acquisitions over the summer, the New York Civics entered training camp with high hopes. Despite losing Aaron Duplacy in free agency, the Civics had signed superstar defenseman Kevin Hoyle and named veteran Lamar Jackson their new captain. On the morning of September 11, 2001, the coaching staff arrived early at the team’s new practice facility. Just as the staff was sitting down to go over the day’s practice, assistant coach Dave Tobin jumped out of his seat and ran to the window. “We were going over our lineups for training camp when I saw smoke coming from the World Trade Center” said Tobin. “We all just thought it was a bad fire, then we saw the plane hit the second one. At that point we cancelled practice.” The Civics and Concordes both postponed the start of their training camps indefinitely, while a nation picked up the pieces after suffering its most devastating attack in decades. The newest Civic was no stranger to disasters. In 1989, Hoyle was just beginning his fourth season in the league with the California Nuggets when the bay area was hit with a devastating earthquake. At just 22 years old, Hoyle showed his leadership when he, along with several teammates, went into the community to feed people who had lost their homes. Now twelve years later, Hoyle, now 34 and entering his 16^th season, started Goals For Heroes initiative. For each goal the Civics scored, the players would each give $100 to New York emergency services. It wasn’t long before the Long Island Concordes joined as well, while the Washington Generals gave to their own local emergency services while also assisting those affected by the Pentagon attack.

Opening night saw the Civics take on their usually hated rivals, the Concordes. It was an extremely emotional night as the teams held a tribute for those who had been lost in the attacks. The entire crowd at Broadway House belted out the Star-Spangled Banner as the two rivals lined up together on the same blueline. When it was time to play hockey, the teams played a tight game, going into overtime, where new captain Lamar Jackson scored the winner. The teams then saluted the crowd together as the crowd gave them a nearly 10-minute standing ovation. “It was important to get that win” said Jackson. “Of every game we’ve ever played, we had to win that one for this city.”

Teams across the league held tributes for the victims of the September 11^th attacks, and in Montreal, the Royale also held a tribute for likely the greatest player ever to wear the double red. Vincent Ducharme’s number 55 was raised to the rafters. “It was my childhood dream to play in Montreal for the Royale.” Said Ducharme. “I never expected it to go the way it did and I feel very lucky to have the career I had.” In their first post-Ducharme season, the Royale played well, taking advantage of a very weak Northeast Division to finish first in the Division with new addition Aaron Duplacy enjoying a strong first season in Montreal. Part of the reason for Montreal’s successful season was the disastrous season in Toronto. The Racers wasted a 46-goal effort from Joe Murdock as well as a 60-point year from Randy Fernandez and plummeted to 13^th place in the Eastern Conference with 29 wins. Goaltender Jake Borman struggled after returning from an early injury but most of the blame was placed on the Racers’ depth players, and ultimately, on head coach Bob Lacey. Lacey was dismissed immediately after the season ended. The Washington Generals suffered a horrific season as well, unable to patch the hole in net after losing Jake Borman, the Generals allowed more goals than any other team in the league. Just two years removed from appearing in the Lewis Cup Finals, the Generals dropped all the way to second-last in the East. While the Racers and Generals plummeted, the New Orleans Sound took advantage and finally reached the Lewis Cup playoffs for the first time since their days in Nova Scotia. Brad McNair finished second overall in league scoring, while Darren Reid added a strong season of his own with 90 points. “This is huge for this franchise” said owner Sam Bendt. “I knew we would get there eventually.”

 

The defending champion Philadelphia Redshirts defended their Conference title on the strength of another big year from new captain Jared Baxter, but the biggest story in the East was the Miami Stingrays, who rose to second place in the Eastern Conference. One of the biggest reasons for the Stingrays’ big year was a stunning season from 27-year-old Eric Moon. Moon’s point totals increased from 69 points in 2000-01 to an incredible 118 points in 2001-02. Moon established himself as the league’s ultimate power forward, becoming the first player since George Allen in the 1950s with over 150 penalty minutes to win the scoring title.

For the first time since 1994-95, the league welcomed two new franchises, as the Atlanta Copperheads and Portland Cascades finally made their debut. In Atlanta, Coastal Airlines arena was sold out for the opening game. After an over-the-top pre-game show that even featured a snake charmer, the players finally emerged from a giant snake head to Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road”. When the game finally started, the Copperheads treated their fans to a 2-1 win over the Carolina Raiders. Meanwhile, the Portland Cascades opened their season on the road with a loss to Vancouver, before beating the Bighorns in their first home game by a surprising score of 7-1. Both teams enjoyed strong seasons, both finishing 12^th in their respective conferences, with Atlanta finishing with 30 wins, just four points out of a playoff spot. “It’s huge for us to have a big first year” said veteran defenseman Jason Driscoll. Driscoll would not see the end of the year in Atlanta, however. On March 3, just two days prior to the trade deadline, Driscoll was dealt to the contending Kansas City Twisters, who were looking to add to their defensive depth.

For the New York teams, it was a tough, emotional season. The Civics dropped a bit in the standings but still made the playoffs. Long Island won fewer games than the previous season, but still finished just two points out of a playoff spot, missing out on the final day of the season. The Boston Bulldogs also finally returned to the post-season thanks to an 11-point improvement. Scott Rose led the team in scoring, while rookie Chris Haines was nominated for Rookie of the Year.

One of the special moments of the 2001-02 season came on boxing day, when the PHL went outside for the first time in its’ history. It was minus 10 in Chicago as the Shamrocks faced the Toronto Racers at Madison Field. The Racers won a tight game in overtime with Joe Murdock scoring the winner, but the real highlight was the legends game that was played earlier. Legends from both teams took the ice again for the first time in years including Mark Benson, Rex Hull, and Charlie Fisher for Toronto, and Vladimir Gaganov, Don Newman, and even 76-year old Don Saleski for Chicago. Saleski played one short shift and earned a standing ovation from the crowd of 72,000. “What a great event” said Saleski.

Minnesota owned the West with 55 wins, as Jason Crowley finished fifth in league scoring. The Lumberjacks at one point went 19 games without a loss and only tied once during that stretch. The Kansas City Twisters also had another big year, winning the Central Division and finishing second in the West, While Seattle defended their Pacific title and took third place in the West. The Grey Wolves also had a new rival in 2001-02, as the Portland Cascades became the third team to reside in the Pacific Northwest. On February 24, the two teams met in Portland, where the Wolves jumped to a 7-0 lead. Portland responded by putting three of their tough guys out to start the third period. After the inevitable line brawl, Seattle responded by sending out 6’3” 246-pound enforcer Scott Sherwood. Sherwood grabbed Cascades’ rookie defenseman Jyrki Rainimak, luring scrappy Portland winger Troy Dowdy. Sherwood and Dowdy fought for nearly two minutes in one of the most entertaining fights ever while the crowd went wild. “That was old-time hockey right there” said Portland coach Rick Camford.

The Dallas Desperados also continued to improve, earning 90 points for the first time in their history, while the Milwaukee Choppers returned to the playoffs after a disappointing 2000-01 season. Adam Wyrzykowski enjoyed a terrific sophomore season playing on a line with team captain Brent Zahorsky. Wyrzykowski scored 40 goals and created a buzz throughout Milwaukee. His jersey outsold all the other Choppers while fans struggled to pronounce his name. “He really is developing into a great player” said Zahorsky. “He’s fun to play with.” While Milwaukee returned to the post-season, Oakland dropped out for the first time since 1994. Key losses over the summer took their toll on the Nuggets, especially the loss of captain Kevin Hoyle and goaltender Bradley Pope. The Nuggets battled the LA Wizards and the Vancouver Bighorns all year for the final playoff spot, until an 11-game losing streak put them out of contention by mid-march. There were bright spots though. Greg Willis played well in net, earning five shutouts to lead the league, while young defensemen Jordan Rifkin and Evan Butler both showed promise.

By the end of the season, one player had everyone’s attention and that player was not in the PHL. The Prairie Major Junior Hockey League’s Kris Nazerenko set a new league scoring record with 207 points while leading the Lethbridge Tornadoes to a number one ranking across the country. Nazerenko was projected to go first overall in the 2002 PHL draft, and as the playoff teams prepared for a run for the Cup, teams like Edmonton, Denver, and Cleveland hoped to land the player everyone believed could turn a franchise around.

2001 Off-Season

2001 Entry Draft

The 2001 draft featured the most Canadian players selected in the first round in over 20 years. 19 out of 30 players selected in the first round were Canucks, while the United States provided only four first rounders including the first overall pick, Jake Wilson. Goaltender Martin Barker of the Prairie League’s Lethbridge Tornados went second to the Denver Bulls, while Jayson Clarke, a skilled winger from Manitoba became the first pick in Atlanta Copperheads history. Portland made their first-ever pick Jyrki Rainimak from Tampere, Finland, selecting him sixth. Other interesting picks included Brandon Sweetwater, the first full-blooded Native American to be drafted into the league, he went 14^th to the Carolina Raiders, while defenseman Corey Clark became only the second Prince Edward Island native to be drafted when Chicago took him at 24^th.

1.      Quebec – Jake Wilson, F, USA

2.      Denver – Martin Barker, G, CAN

3.      Atlanta – Jayson Clarke, F, CAN

4.      Edmonton – Ilya Rusakivich, F, RUS

5.      Boston – Chris Haines, F, CAN

6.      Portland – Jyrki Rainimak, F, FIN

7.      Calgary – Matthew Potter, D, GB

8.      St. Louis – Blake Bennett, F, CAN

9.      Winnipeg – Corey Watts, F, CAN

10.   New Orleans – Trevor Shaw, D, CAN

11.   Long Island – Daniel Hedlund, D, SWE

12.   Cleveland – Owen Langley, F, CAN

13.   Milwaukee – Alyn Marleau, F, CAN

14.   Carolina – Brandon Sweetwater, F, USA

15.   Vancouver – Trey Sawler, F, CAN

16.   Oakland – Evan Butler, D, USA

17.   Los Angeles – Matt Stover, G, CAN

18.   Toronto – Trent Cameron, G, CAN

19.   Detroit – Matt Hopkins, F, USA

20.   Pittsburgh – Adam Briggs, D, CAN

21.   Miami – Henrik Lindblom, F, SWE

22.   Dallas – Ben Burgess, D, CAN

23.   New York – Matt Kennedy, F, CAN

24.   Chicago – Corey Clark, D, CAN

25.   Montreal – Ryan Kent, F, CAN

26.   Denver (From Washington) – Sergei Mikhailov, F, RUS

27.   Philadelphia – Sean Nowakowski, F, CAN

28.   Seattle – Luke Roy, F, CAN

29.   Minnesota – Jesse Hollis, D, CAN

30.   Kansas City – Jaromir Rezek, D, CZE

Notable Retirements:

Vincent Ducharme, F, MTL, 1986-2001

Though his career was cut short, Vincent Ducharme had plenty of time to establish himself as one of the greatest players in PHL history. With 1644 points, Ducharme ranks seventh all-time in points and captained the Montreal Royale to three Lewis Cups during the 1990s, even scoring the winner in 1991. Towards the end of the 1990s, Ducharme began to suffer from knee injuries, which eventually forced him to miss the entire 2000-01 regular season. He would return for the playoffs, where his final great moment would be scoring the winner to send the Royale to the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals. After losing to the Philadelphia Redshirts, Ducharme retired after 15 seasons.

Craig Bush, F, BOS, SEA, 1980-2001

One of the most popular players in Bulldogs’ history, Craig Bush played a total of 18 years in Boston, serving as their captain for twelve seasons. In 1993, Bush led a powerhouse Bulldogs team to their first Lewis Cup in 21 years, taking home playoff MVP honours in the process. The ‘Dogs endured some lean years in the late 1990s, and Bush eventually signed with Seattle, where he played two seasons before returning to Boston for his final season.

Alexei Yolkin, F, TOR, DEN, 1991-2001

After over a decade starring with the Soviet National Team, Alexei Yolkin finally made his PHL debut in January, 1992 with the Toronto Racers, just weeks after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yolkin lit up the Toronto offense, scoring over a goal per game in the second half of the 1991-92 season. Unfortunately for the Racers, Yolkin’s prime in the PHL was brief, as his play declined in the late 90s. He was dealt to the Denver Bulls in 1999 where he played his final two years. Yolkin will now head home to Russia to begin a new career as a coach.

Jeff Waters, F, PHI, 1979-2001

Few players waited as long as Jeff Waters with the same franchise to hoist the Lewis Cup. Waters made his debut in 1979 and played more than two decades in Philadelphia, eventually serving as their captain. The Redshirts’ legendary drought continued on as Philly lost a heartbreaker in the 1989 finals. The late 90s brought some difficult years for the team and Waters had opportunities to leave and join a contender. But Waters, a family man and devout Christian, opted to stay in Philadelphia to keep his focus on his family and faith. It would pay off in the end as the Redshirts quickly rose back to the top and claimed their first-ever Lewis Cup in Waters’ final game.

Notable Trades

Carolina trades D Jean-Francois Belanger to Seattle in exchange for D Nick Spears.

Seattle replenishes their Defensive depth after losing Jason Driscoll to the Expansion Draft by adding all-star blueliner Belanger, while the Raiders bring some youth to their blueline in Spears.

Denver trades F Oleg Markov to Long Island in exchange for F Justin Pratt.

The Bulls launch a full-on rebuild, sending their star forward Markov to the Concordes for Pratt, the Canadian Junior MVP in 2000-01.

Denver trades F Kaino Rippola, G Nathan Bowman to Washington in exchange for 1^st round draft pick.

Denver’s tank job continues as veteran Rippola and goaltender Bowman are sent to the generals for Washington’s first pick in the draft.

Key Free Agents

Resignings:

Scott Drayton signs new 5-year deal with Kansas City worth $12 Million/year.

Igor Nokavich signs new 7-year deal with Boston worth $8 Million/year.

Kyle Mathis signs new 6-year deal with Edmonton worth $5 Million/year.

Darren Reid signs new 5-year deal with New Orleans worth $5 Million/year.

Shawn Marchinski signs new 3-year deal with Dallas worth $3.5 Million/year.

UFAs:

D Kevin Hoyle (OAK) signs 6-year deal with New York worth $11 Million/year.

The first in a summer of huge moves around the league, Hoyle leaves the Nuggets for Broadway after 15 seasons in the Bay area.

F Aaron Duplacy (NYC) signs 5-year deal with Montreal worth $10 Million/year.

Less than two hours after signing the biggest free agent on the market, the Civics lose their captain, as Duplacy heads to Montreal to replace the lost offense from Ducharme’s retirement.

G Jake Borman (WSH) signs 3-year deal with Toronto worth $5 Million/year.

One of the game’s top goaltenders heads to Toronto to replace the departing Tom Branson.

G Tom Branson (TOR) signs 5-year deal with Chicago worth $5 Million/year.

Branson leaves the struggling Racers to pursue a championship with the Shamrocks.

D Teppo Sikkanen (DEN) signs 1-year deal with Chicago worth $3 Million/year.

Chicago continues to load up, signing the former Cooper Award winner to a one-year deal. Sikkanen has said this could be his final season.

F Trevor Ramsey (EDM) signs 2-year deal with Boston worth $2 Million/year.

The 38-year-old Ramsey will likely finish his career in Boston.

News

The summer of 2001 kicked off with big news, when Darryl Byrd announced that for the first time in PHL history, two teams would play outside in a football stadium. The Chicago Shamrocks would face the Toronto Racers at Madison Field in Chicago on Boxing Day in an event called the Holiday Classic. “This event will go down in history as one of the greatest events of all time” Byrd. When asked if the event would become an annual tradition, Byrd replied “I hope so.”

There were a few notable coaching changes during the summer of 2001. The Boston Bulldogs fired both GM Bob Canton and Head Coach Gery Shantz, replacing them with former Bulldogs defenseman Bruce McKinnon as GM, and successful major junior coach Maxime St-Beaudoin as Head Coach. St-Beaudoin, one of the youngest coaches in PHL history at just 35, had led the Maritime League’s Moncton Narwals to the National Championship game in 1999-00, and also served on the PHL expansion committee. It would not take long for Shantz to find a new coaching job, just a day after being let go by Boston, Shantz was hired by the expansion Atlanta Copperheads, who had apparently been waiting for his dismissal. “We had a feeling Boston would be making a change so we just decided to wait and see what would happen” said Copperheads GM Paul Needham. The Portland Cascades also found their first coach when the Edmonton Northern Lights decided to part ways with Rick Camford. Edmonton then hired former Nuggets winger Rod Skelton as their new bench boss.

History was also made in New York, where defenseman Lamar Jackson became the first black player to be named captain of a PHL club. With the departure of Aaron Duplacy, Civics management resisted naming new acquisition Kevin Hoyle the captain, instead giving the honour to Jackson, who had been a key part of the team since 1988. “It’s a huge honour to be able to lead this team” said Jackson. “I can’t wait to get going, it’s going to be a good year.” The optimistic Civics would also be opening their new training facility in Jersey City at the start of training camp on September 11^th. “We’ve had that date circled on our calendar all summer” said head coach Bruce Irvine. “We can’t wait to get started.” 

2001 Expansion Draft Results

The 2001 Expansion draft took place on June 27, 2001. Teams were allowed to protect one goalie, three defensemen, and five forwards. Once a team lost a player, it could not lose another. Because there were 28 teams to pick from, not every team would lose players. Dallas and Minnesota both got through the draft with their rosters fully intact. As for the Expansion teams, Portland went with a lot of proven veterans, stocking their roster with familiar names like Jason Lind, Kyle Boone, and Scott Whitmore. Atlanta focused more on youth, selecting talented young Redshirts goaltender Ben Kerrigan in what was regarded as the biggest steal of the draft, as well as other solid young players like Eric Thorn and Jordan O'Reilly.

G – Bradley Pope, OAK

G – Jason Lind, KC

D – Karl Magnusson, NYC

D – Jason McGinnis, BOS

D – Gordon Quincey, MTL

D – Toivu Niskala, TOR

F – Kyle Boone, CHI

F – Brett Wilson, CLE

F – Troy Dowdy, QUE

F – Todd Becker, STL

F – Jason Whitaker, WPG

F – Scott Whitmore, WSH

G – Ben Kerrigan, PHI

G – Jim Cochran, LA

D – Jason Driscoll, SEA

D – Jordan O’Reilly, EDM

D – Greg Cote, NOS

D – Patrick Gagnon, PIT

F – Alyn Bryant, CAR

F – Eric Thorn, DET

F – Jason Murphy, MIA

F – Niklas Jonsson, LI

F – Chris Falkner, DEN

F – Marc Brunelle, MIL

Cascades, Copperheads Unveil Logos and Uniforms

In June, 2001, the expansion Portland Cascades and Atlanta Copperheads each took another big step towards opening their inaugural seasons. Both teams unveiled their logos and uniforms. On June 25, Portland unveiled a logo featuring a Mountain resembling a growling bear in the team colors of "Midnight Blue, Glacial Silver, and Blizzard White." The home jerseys are white while the roads are navy with both uniforms featuring a mountain design.

The Atlanta Copperheads unveiled their uniforms the following day. The logo features a snake ready to attack, while the uniform features one of the most unique striping designs ever seen in the league, including a pair of snakes running over the top of the shoulders. The team colors are Maroon, Black, and Copper. The reaction from fans was mixed, with some younger fans enjoying the unusual look while other fans felt it was a bit much. "The jerseys are a little out there but we really wanted to do something different, something to draw the younger fans in" said team owner Joseph Cartwright.

In addition to the expansion teams' logos, the league also unveiled new logos for the Eastern and Western Conference, as well as new all-star uniforms for the 2002 all-star game. This will be the first time since 1997 that the all-star teams will have special uniforms, since then, players wore their regular club team uniforms for the game.