New Alternate Uniforms Unveiled

Six more teams unveiled new third jerseys in 2007, with more teams alluding to history. Long Island will bring back their popular throwback jersey worn in the 2006 Holiday Classic, while Calgary will wear a jersey that combines the 1966-78 jersey with the '78-93 look and brings back the team's classic color scheme of orange and black. Portland's new uniform is a nod to the Portland Grizzlies form the old Global Hockey League, the only other professional team to call the city home.

Three teams introduced all-new designs as well. Dallas will wear gold for the first time, while Minnesota's new third features a vintage design. Cleveland has perhaps the most radical alternate design in the league. The black jersey features striping meant to appear like a rocket with a new logo on the front.

In addition to new third jerseys, two retro jerseys will meet for the first time on Christmas Day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Choppers will host the Dallas Desperados wearing their inaugural uniforms originally worn from 1985-1994. Meanwhile, Dallas will wear the uniforms Milwaukee wore when they were known as the Dallas Metros. Metros jerseys and memorabilia have long been popular retro items and now the classic "dallas skyline" jerseys will finally return to the ice. The team will wear it's secondary logo on the pants to maintain a connection to the present franchise.

2007 Lewis Cup Finals

Jason Crowley turned 40 years old on May 30, 2007. To celebrate, he played in game one of the Lewis Cup Finals for the fourth time in his career. Everyone knew the matchup between Boston and Oakland would be tight and game one proved as much, with the Bulldogs edging out the Nuggets 2-1. In game two, Travis Sweet was in top form for the Nuggets, stopping 38 shots for a shutout while Jordan Rifkin scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 Nuggets win that tied the series. The game was controversial, however, as Boston appeared to tie the game late, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference. The replay showed that Jeffery Simpkins was clearly pushed into Sweet by Oakland defenseman Evan Butler, but the call stood, leaving Bulldogs’ coach Maxime St-Beaudoin in a rage. “You play your best and this is how it ends? What a (expletive) joke!” an Irate St-Beaudoin told the media afterwards.

As the series shifted to Oakland, local fans were annoyed that the media was focused more on the ‘Dogs disallowed goal and less on the stellar play of Travis Sweet. Game three was chippy, with several post-whistle scrums as the tension grew between the two clubs. Rifkin scored for the Nuggets in the second period, followed by Teppo Saari early in the third. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs once again could not solve Sweet. With seven minutes to go in the game, Ryan Lockhart and Jordan Rifkin each took a penalty for the Nuggets, giving Boston a 5-on-3 powerplay. Boston pummeled Sweet with shots and Sweet turned away every one, leading Bulldogs’ captain Brendan Marlo to smash his stick at the bench. Sweet was clearly in Boston’s heads as the 20-year-old held on for his second straight shutout. Oakland now led the series 2-1.

St-Beaudoin made some lineup changes in game four, putting his two best forwards, Marlo and Mikael Larsson, together on the top line. The strategy worked, as Marlo found Larsson in the slot and Larsson scored to break the drought just two minutes into the game. While most of the attention all series was on Sweet, it was the other young goalie wearing red and black that stepped up big in game four. Just a year removed from winning the cup as Jussi Sykko’s backup in Toronto, Mark Davis was now making the most of his opportunity as a starter. Davis stopped 33 shots in game four while Crowley scored late to give Boston a narrow 2-1 win and a tied series.

The Boston Bulldogs headed home for gave five with their confidence restored. Just as Travis Sweet had been in the Bulldogs’ heads early in the series, now Marlo and Larsson were clearly in Sweet’s head. The duo combined for three goals on five shots early in game five. When Simpkins scored to make in 4-0, Sweet was pulled in favour of former Bulldog Kevin Washer. Washer had been a rookie when he backstopped Boston to their last Lewis Cup in 1993 and now in his final season, he received a standing ovation from the usually hostile Boston crowd as he skated to the net. Washer played well and the Nuggets managed to score twice, but it was too little too late, as Boston ultimately won 5-2 to sit just one win away from a title.

In game six, Oakland coach Ken Gilbert decided to stick with Travis Sweet in net. Sweet and Davis put on one of the greatest goaltender exhibitions in Lewis Cup Final history. Sweet stopped 42 shots while Davis stopped 39. The Nuggets scored early on a point shot from Pierre Dubois and the lead held right into the third period. A game seven in Boston seemed inevitable, until Mikael Larsson scored with just under a minute left. Everyone prepared for overtime but right off the faceoff Jason Crowley slapped it towards the goal and beat Sweet to put Boston up 2-1. The building went silent. In a matter of seconds the Nuggets had gone from nursing a lead to force a game seven to now desperately needing a goal to stay alive. Oakland pressed hard for the final 38 seconds but Davis stood tall. As the seconds ticked away the Bulldogs began pouring off the bench and mobbing Davis. For the second straight year the MVP was a goaltender, but this time it would be the losing goaltender as Travis Sweet took home the honour. Greg Nolan came out to present the Lewis Cup for the first time as commissioner. “This is my favorite part of the job so far” he announced before handing it to Brendan Marlo. After skating with the cup, Marlo then handed it to his former Minnesota teammate, Jason Crowley. It was Crowley’s third championship and the first where he had scored the winning goal, the perfect ending to a magnificent career.

2007 Playoffs

Round One

Eastern Conference

Boston (1) vs Quebec (8)

Quebec makes history in the worst way, becoming the first team in PHL history to go an entire best-of-seven series without scoring a goal, while Boston’s Mark Davis is the first goaltender to earn four straight shutouts to sweep a series.

Philadelphia (2) vs Houston (7)

Philadelphia starts the series strong with a 3-1 win, but Petr Kaleek comes up big in game two, earning a shutout as Houston ties the series. The Redshirts cannot solve Kaleek in another 2-0 loss as Houston takes the lead. Jared Baxter scores twice in game four, but it’s not enough as The Roughnecks score three times in the last seven minutes to win the game and take a 3-1 series lead. Baxter scores again in a game five Redshirts win, but Derek Ewin’s two-goal performance in game six gives the Roughnecks the upset win. After the loss, Baxter, who had scored another goal in game six, expressed his frustration. “I can carry us but I can’t win the (bleeping) game by myself every time!” For the Roughnecks, it was a big moment for a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff round since 1989 when it was still playing in Halifax.

Long Island (3) vs Carolina (6)

Despite playing well throughout the series, the Raiders’ inability to win on the road catches up to them. Chris McNally is solid in net, Ilya Rusakivich and Ryan Shelton each have five points as the Concordes win in six games.

Toronto (4) vs Atlanta (5)

The Racers never get into the series as the scrappy Copperheads stifle Toronto’s firepower. In addition to scoring three goals in the series, Jason Ferland gets in Joe Murdock’s face all series. The 8-0 loss in game five was one of the most embarrassing moments in team history. Head coach Rex  Hull blasted his team after the loss, telling the media the effort was “completely unacceptable”.  Atlanta completes the upset and advances.

Western Conference

Milwaukee (1) vs Portland (8)

The Cascades’ playoff debut was predictably brief. Despite a surprising win in game one, the Choppers just proved to be just too much, winning the next two. A Kris Lukowich overtime goal in game four tied the series, but Milwaukee responded with a 4-0 shutout win in game five, then took the series in game six two nights later.

Dallas (2) vs Los Angeles (7)

For the second year in a row, the Wizards and Desperados meet in the first round and for the second year in a row, the series reaches a deciding game in Dallas. The Desperados had a chance to win in game six, but an overtime goal from Oleg Gusarov forced it to game seven. The Wizards come out strong in game seven and never let up, pulling off the upset with a 4-1 win.

Edmonton (3) vs Vancouver (6)

Both teams come out hitting right from the opening faceoff, as the Bighorns take a 3-1 series lead after the first four games. Edmonton needed a boost from their young superstar and they get it in game five. After putting up only one point in the first four games, Kris Nazarenko proves to be the overtime hero, beating Philippe Gagnon to save the Northern Lights’ season. Nazarenko scores early in game six and then assists on a goal from Brandon Kelso that holds up to be the winner. Tempers flare at the end, as a few fights break out, including a big one between tough veterans Tory Partridge and Brendan Carnes. Edmonton comes out strong in game seven, earning a 1-0 lead early. The lead holds until the final moments of the third period, when the Bighorns pull Gagnon. The Bighorns push hard but a penalty to Devan Wolf means means a 5-on-5 even with an extra Vancouver skater. Bruce Evans has the empty netter for the Northern Lights. Edmonton moves on to round two but at a price, as Kris Nazarenko sustained a shoulder injury in the second period and did not return.

Chicago (4) vs Oakland (5)

The Nuggets get off to a bad start as goaltender Travis Sweet suffers from food poisoning just prior to game one. The Nuggets still manage to split the first two games after winning game one. Sweet returns when the series heads to Oakland and his performance is phenomenal, as he allows only one goal in the next three games. Oakland upsets Chicago and moves on to round two.

Round Two

Boston vs Houston

The home team wins each game early on as the teams split the first four 2-2. Jason Crowley misses the first four games to rest a sore back but returns for game five and proves to be the hero, scoring the overtime winner. Game six also goes to OT, and this time its captain Brendan Marlo that scores to send the ‘Dogs to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Milwaukee vs Los Angeles

The heavily favoured Choppers start off their second-round matchup looking good, taking game one 2-0. However, the wheels come off in game two, as a 1-0 lead evaporates in the third period as the Wizards score three quick goals to take the game 3-1. Game three in LA goes horribly for the Choppers as Matt Darwin is pulled after allowing four goals in the first ten minutes. Milwaukee scored twice in the second and third periods but it’s too little too late, as the Wizards take a 2-1 series lead. Darwin is given another chance in game four, which goes to overtime. Seconds into overtime, Isaac Hart scores, giving the Wizards a commanding 3-1 series lead. Milwaukee recovers in game five, winning a high-scoring affair 4-3. In game six, the Choppers hope to force a deciding game back home, and get off to a solid start, nursing a 2-1 lead entering the third. Hart scores to tie it about halfway through the third period, then Luca Schober scores to give the Wizards the lead. Milwaukee makes a strong push at the end, but the Wizards hang on for the biggest upset of the playoffs.

Long Island vs Atlanta

The Copperheads’ magical run continues, as veteran goalie Ben Kerrigan becomes the first goalie ever to open a series with consecutive road shutouts. The Concordes bounce back with a win in game three, but lose a heartbreaker in overtime in game four. Back home for game five, the Concordes once again struggle to solve Kerrigan and Atlanta moves on with a 3-2 win.

Edmonton vs Oakland

Kris Nazarenko misses the first two games of the series with a dislocated shoulder. Edmonton is forced to settle for the split heading to Oakland. In game three, Nazarenko attempts to play but leaves after two shifts. The Nuggets win 4-1. Nazarenko is out for game four and veteran Teppo Saari scores two points in a 2-0 Oakland win. With his team in trouble, Nazarenko returns once again to the Edmonton lineup and scores twice in a 3-1 win. Game six would be one of the best performances of Travis Sweet’s young career, as Sweet stops 51 shots in a 3-0 win to send Oakland to the Western Conference Final.

Conference Finals

Boston vs Atlanta

Boston comes out strong early with a 2-0 win, but Atlanta bounces back with a 3-2 win in game two. In Atlanta, Boston regains the series lead, then a hat-trick from Jason Ferland leads to a 5-3 win for the Copperheads. Now a best-of-three, the series shifts back to Boston where Bulldogs are determined not to blow the series, knowing a loss at home could be disastrous. Mark Davis comes up big and Mikael Larsson scores a late third-period goal to give the Bulldogs the win and a chance to wrap up the series in Atlanta. In game six, Ben Kerrigan is spectacular once again in the Copperheads’ net, while Ferland continues his strong play with two points. The Copperheads win 3-1 and force game seven in Boston. After a playoff year full of big upsets, the Bulldogs held their ground in game seven. Mark Davis stops 40 shots for his seventh shutout of the playoffs while Brendan Marlo scores twice and Boston returns to the Lewis Cup Finals.

Oakland vs Los Angeles

In the 2007 Western Conference Finals, the “Battle of California” would decide who goes to the Lewis Cup. Oakland and LA battled hard in game one with the Nuggets jumping ahead in the final moments of the game before sealing it with an empty-netter. A 32-save shutout from Travis Sweet gives Oakland a 2-0 lead heading to LA. The Wizards find their way into the series with a 3-1 win at home in game 3, then almost tie the series in game 4 when leading the game with 50 seconds left. With Sweet pulled, Justin Ramsey scores to tie the game and send it to overtime. Two overtime periods would solve nothing, but early in the third extra frame, Jordan Rifkin beats LA goaltender Matt Stover to give Oakland a 3-1 series lead. The loss would be devastating for the Wizards, who would lose game five 4-1. Oakland wins the series and advances to the Lewis Cup Final for the first time since 1980.

2006-07 Regular Season

The PHL entered a new era as the 2006-07 season began. For the first time since the 1989-90 season the league had a new commissioner, Greg Nolan. The Nolan era began with a special tour in which the commissioner attended a home game in all thirty PHL cities over the first half of the season, addressing each fanbase and dropping a ceremonial puck. “We have a lot of work to do as a league” said Nolan in his first address in Toronto. “But I assure you the future of the PHL is bright.” Part of that bright future made his debut in Detroit. Rookie Nathan Sibley led the Mustangs in scoring with 91 points, claiming rookie-of-the year honours. The son of former LA Wizard Jason Sibley, Nathan proved to be more of a skilled player than his gritty father. He was placed on a line with veteran Dominik Musil and together they finally gave Detroit fans a reason to get excited for the first time in years despite a last-place finish in the east.

The Eastern Conference was dominated by Atlantic Division teams, as Boston took the top spot thanks in part to the solid play of 39-year-old Jason Crowley. Crowley, who had all but confirmed he was playing in his final PHL season, had 22 goals and another 27 assists for 49 points, playing mostly in a second-line role alongside rookie Jordan Mclean, who was born during Crowley’s second season in Minnesota. On January 8, Boston visited Minnesota on what Crowley knew would be an emotional night. The longtime Lumberjacks captain skated out to a standing ovation at the Oval Center that lasted 12 minutes. Not surprisingly, the tears flowed from number 90. “I didn’t plan on having that reaction but I was okay with it” said Crowley. “This whole state means so much to me. Not every player gets to win championships in the same place they learned to skate. I’ll always be grateful to the Lumberjacks organization.” Crowley would establish himself as the almost undisputed greatest American player in league history, passing Vincent Ducharme and George Allen to reach fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1756 points. The Bulldogs also solidified their goaltending after a rocky start for Chad Cohen, sending defenseman Travis Tearney to Toronto in a big trade for former college star Mark Davis.

2006-07 was an important year for the Houston Roughnecks. In their second season in Texas, the franchise finally began to make some strides. Petr Kaleek finally enjoyed a career season, leading the league in shutouts and claiming the Whyte Trophy as the league’s top goalie as well as the Ridley Trophy for League MVP. Second-year forward Derek Ewin led the Roughnecks in scoring, but the team was mostly noted for a hard-working, tight defensive style introduced by second-year head coach Joe Fletcher. The team would go up by a goal or two, then clog up the middle of the ice, forcing teams to the boards. If other teams did manage to get into the Houston end, they were forced to shoot from the perimeter, as the slot would be inaccessible. Fans around the league complained that Houston games were incredibly boring to watch but Roughneck fans certainly weren’t complaining as their team clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the move.

A string of wins at the end of the season helped the Roughnecks avoid a four-team scramble for the last playoff spot in the east. Quebec, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Miami all found themselves vying for the final spot with a couple of games remaining on the schedule. Miami was eliminated quickly after a loss to Carolina, while Cleveland defeated arch-rival Pittsburgh to claim the 8^th spot. All the Cosmos needed was a Montreal win over Quebec to clinch. The Royale led near the end of the game but with only 12 seconds left Jake Wilson scored his second of the night to tie the game and send it to overtime. It would be a big night for the former Minnesota State Screaming Eagle, as he would score just 29 seconds into OT to complete the hat-trick and send Quebec to the playoffs.

If fans thought the Eastern Conference playoff race was exciting, it had nothing on the battle out west. On the final night of the season, Portland faced Seattle, while Denver faced St. Louis. Of the four teams, only Seattle had been eliminated, after losing to LA two nights earlier. The winner of Denver/St. Louis would claim the final spot if Seattle could beat Portland. The Bulls and Spirits would trade leads all game long. Denver led entering the third period, just as the Grey Wolves and Cascades were entering the second tied in Portland. A goal early in the third period gave Denver a 5-4 lead as both teams tried hard not to think about the game on the West coast. Martin Barker had to make some big saves in the dying seconds but the Bulls held on for a 6-4 win. After saluting their fans, the Bulls retreated to the dressing room where they nervously watched the third period of the Cascades/Wolves game, now tied 2-2. The 2006-07 season was a coming-of-age season for the Cascades, who had finally found a way to overcome injuries and off-ice drama to find themselves one goal away from their first-ever playoff berth. Seattle would jump to a 4-2 lead early in the third, but Portland didn’t panic. A goal from veteran Chris Cassidy brought the game within reach again for the Cascades. With three minutes left and nothing to lose, Portland pulled Daniel Boivre for the extra attacker. The move backfired, as Matt Pope scored with 43 seconds left to seal the win for the Grey Wolves. But the referee waved off the goal. The Wolves had six skaters on the ice. Seattle was penalized and the Cascades now had 6-on-4 powerplay with Boivre pulled. The Cascades peppered Dan Pilford with shots, and finally Kris Lukowich found the back of the net to tie the game with 8 seconds left. The Cascades were still alive. It looked like the game would go to overtime, but when Portland won the faceoff, Patrick Diaz took the puck down the wing and with less than four seconds on the clock, flipped it toward the Seattle goal. Pilford thought he had it between his pads, but it fell out behind him and rolled into the net as the buzzer went off. The play had to be reviewed to determine if time had run out. The referee discussed the play on the phone for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he hung up the phone, turned and pointed to center ice. Indicating a goal. The Cascades poured off the bench like they had won the Lewis Cup. Portland would finally make its post-season debut. “It doesn’t get more dramatic than that” said head coach Rick Camford.

Two players in the Western Conference reached important milestones in 2006-07. In November, 22-year-veteran Randy Fernandez became only the second defenseman in PHL history to reach 1000 points. Fernandez, playing in his second season with the Dallas Desperados was frequently asked about retirement throughout the year as he was set to become a UFA again in the summer. But the 40-year-old insisted that as long as someone was willing to sign him he had no intention of retiring. Meanwhile, in Edmonton, Kris Nazarenko got halfway to Fernandez in only less than a quarter of the time. Nazarenko scored his 500^th career point on a goal in a 3-0 win over Oakland in late march.

The Milwaukee Choppers once again led the charge out west with a 109-point season. Brad McNair won the Cleveland Cup with 106 points while his linemate, Adam Wyrzykowski, also finished in the top ten with 92. It looked like the Chops would have no issue coming out of the West for the third straight season. Milwaukee would face Portland in the first round and the Choppers were confident they would return to the finals for the third consecutive season. “I think we just keep getting better as a team” said McNair. “Every year we get more confident, we’re excited about the playoffs this year.”

2006 Off-Season

2006 Entry Draft

The Detroit Mustang’s rebuild continued at the 2006 draft, with the selection of high-scoring winger Nathan Sibley. The son of former LA Wizard Jason Sibley, Nathan was the first of several players with PHL bloodlines drafted in 2006. After Calgary took 6’7” behemoth defenseman Jordan Foster second, Swede Mats Ossler was the first goaltender selected, taken by Vancouver at number three. Bryce Hawkins, son of former Milwaukee Chopper Terry Hawkins, was selected sixth by the Washington Generals, while Devan Chadwick, son of former Nuggets captain Alan Chadwick, was picked next by the Portland Cascades.  To cap off an interesting first round, two identical twins were selected, Stingers’ pick Josh McBride at number four, and his brother Dan, who went to Carolina at number 20.”It should be interesting when we play the Raiders” said Stingers GM Craig Perry. “I hope we can tell them apart.”

1.      DET – Nathan Sibley, F, CAN

2.      CGY – Jordan Foster, D, CAN

3.      VAN – Mats Ossler, G, SWE

4.      PIT – Josh McBride, F, CAN

5.      HOU – Ari Aaltonen, D, FIN

6.      WSH – Bryce Hawkins, D, USA

7.      POR – Devan Chadwick, D, USA

8.      MIA – Gavin Day, D, CAN

9.      MTL – Jakub Cermak, D, CZE

10.   DEN – Evgeni Egorov, F, RUS

11.   QUE – Mario Jacques, D, CAN

12.   STL – Garret Cain, F, USA

13.   WPG – Elias Edlund, F, SWE

14.   BOS(From MIN) – Taylor Gibbs, D, CAN

15.   ATL – Igor Vasiliev, F, RUS

16.   OAK – Cedric Fournier, F, CAN

17.   CHI – Antero Honka, F, FIN

18.   NYC – James Duckett, D, USA

19.   DET(From KC) – Aaron Bowman, F, CAN

20.   CAR – Dan McBride, F, CAN

21.   LA – Evan Cross, F, CAN

22.   DAL – Bryce Waters, F, USA

23.   BOS – Anders Sparre, F, SWE

24.   CLE – Darren Robertson, D, CAN

25.   TOR – Jordan McLean, D, CAN

26.   EDM – Radek Simek, F, CZE

27.   PHI – Luke Bowers, G, CAN

28.   LI – Bryan Yates, F, USA

29.   SEA – Ville Peltola, G, FIN

30.   MIL – Vaclav Kubik, D, SVK

Phenom Alert: He won’t be eligible for the draft until 2008, but already Erik Camden is already considered a lock for the 1^st overall pick. After a record-breaking 2004-05 season in the Ontario Midget league, Already 6’3”, 212 pounds, Camden was allowed to play major junior a year early at 15, where he scored 60 goals playing for the Guelph Royals. “He’s already miles ahead of the rest of the 1990 draft class, he could play next season if he was allowed” said one scout.

Notable Retirements:

Pavel Vana, F, MIN, 1990-2006

Pavel Vana first arrived on the hockey scene when he wowed everyone as a 17-year-old at the 1988 World Hockey Challenge. Just over a year later, Vana was finally allowed to leave his native Czechoslovakia and join the Minnesota Lumberjacks, a team on the rise. In only his first few months with the team, he helped them all the way to the Lewis Cup Finals, where they ultimately lost to Long Island. The deep run was a sign of things to come for Vana and the Lumberjacks, as Minnesota would win two championships in 1996 and 1998 with Vana capping off a playoff MVP performance with the Cup-clinching OT goal in ’98. Despite offers from other PHL teams, Vana decided to return to the Czech Republic to finish his playing career.

Rob Wentzel, F, WSH, SEA, 1988-2006

Drafted eighth overall by the Generals, Rob Wentzel came with big expectations after leading the BCHL’s Chilliwack Night Flyers to a national major junior championship in 1988. The Generals sent Wentzel back to junior early in the 1988-89 season, where he led Chilliwack to a second consecutive title. In 1989-90 Wentzel finally joined Washington for good. Though he was not the flashiest player of his time, Wentzel’s leadership, grit, and expert two-way play led the Generals to two Lewis Cup Finals appearances in 1998 and 2000. In the hopes of finally winning a championship, Wentzel left the rebuilding Generals for the Seattle Grey Wolves in 2003. Unfortunately, that opportunity never came for Wentzel, who admits that missing out on the Lewis Cup is his biggest career regret.

Christian Grayson, G, MIN, CGY, 1990-2006

At the conclusion of his first season as a number one goaltender, newly crowned Lewis Cup Champion Christian Grayson received perhaps the highest honour any goaltender could hope for, Bobby Sorel, regarded as the greatest netminder in PHL history, said that Grayson’s performance in the 1996 playoffs was “the greatest goaltending I have ever seen”. Grayson’s cool head and quick glove helped the Lumberjacks to a second title two years later, while Grayson took home the Whyte Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. In 2004, Grayson signed with Calgary, where he played his final two seasons.

Notable Trades

Seattle trades F Randy McAllen to Long Island in exchange for F Patrick Murphy.

Two underachieving forwards are swapped in the hopes that new scenery could motivate them.

Winnipeg trades F Dan Crow to Cleveland in exchange for F Tyler Petrie.

The Pioneers trade their captain to a Cosmos team that hopes to contend again. 19-year-old Petrie hopes to turn pro with Winnipeg after spending 2005-06 with the Cosmos’ farm team in Columbus.

Long Island trades F Nikolai Nazakov to Los Angeles in exchange for F Owen Betts.

The Concordes deal Nazakov to get under the salary cap, while also adding some toughness. LA gets more skilled up front as they continue to transition from rebuilder to contender.

Key Free Agents

RFAs:

F Kris Lukowich signs new deal with Portland worth $8 Million/year.

D Thomas Sandberg signs new deal with Pittsburgh worth $8 Million/year.

D Noah Brewer signs new deal with Cleveland worth $6 Million/year.

F Evan Long signs new deal with Quebec worth $6 Million/year.

F Ilya Zhinovjev signs new deal with Oakland worth $5 Million/year.

G Jussi Miettinen signs new deal with St. Louis worth $4 Million/year.

F Jordan Goode signs new deal with Calgary worth $3 Million/year.

UFA Signings:

F Dominik Musil (CGY) signs 6-year deal with Detroit worth $10 Million/year.

Detroit’s new management sends a message to their fans that they’re serious about winning, signing the Czech star to a huge, $80 Million deal after bonuses and incentives.

F Darren Reid signs new 10-year deal with Toronto worth $8 Million/year.

Reid earned big money after helping deliver another cup to TO, but there are now concerns about signing franchise player Murdock in 2007.

D Scott Drayton (KC) signs 3-year deal with Long Island worth $5 Million/year.

Though Drayton is well past his prime, he is seasoned and has a ring. He will bring valuable experience to an already solid Concorde blueline.

F Jason Crowley (DAL) signs 1-year deal with Boston worth $1 Million/year.

After considering retirement, the future hall-of-famer was convinced by former teammate and Boston captain Brendan Marlo to give it one more shot at a third title.

News

It didn’t take long for the first coaching change of 2006 to come about. Just days after losing the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Desperados fired head coach Willy Rowe. In June, the Desperados replaced Rowe with former St. Louis enforcer Ryan McCarthy. McCarthy had retired as a player in 2002 and invested in a major junior franchise along with Grant Millen and Shannon Michaels, the Brampton Rink Rats. Known as a popular player’s coach, McCarthy coached the Rats to a Dominion Cup appearance in only their second season in 2004. Rowe found a new job by summer’s end with Seattle, after the retirement of Wolves’ coach Bruce Dickenson.

Big news came out of Toronto in July, as the Racers announced plans for a new arena, set to open in time for the 2009-10 season. The team had played in the Queen Elizabeth Arena since 1956 and the building was considered a Canadian landmark. In other news, Ottawa was named host of the 2008 World Hockey Challenge. The city will be the first non-PHL city in North America to host the tournament and was selected largely due to the brand new arena.

After a year of speculation and suspicion, the hockey world seemed to be forgetting about the FBI investigation of commissioner Darryl Byrd and his involvement with mobster Eddie Garofalo amidst an exciting 2005-06 season followed by a flurry of off-season moves. On July 29, PHL fans everywhere woke up to stunning news, Byrd had been arrested after the interrogation of one of Garofalo’s associates. The man named Byrd as one of several business lawyers Garofalo had paid off while orchestrating a variety of white-collar crimes through the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Byrd would stand trial in 2007 but the league could not wait for a verdict. In an emergency meeting of the PHL owners, Byrd was removed as PHL commissioner on July 31, 2006. After being cleared of any involvement in the mess, deputy commissioner Neil McCormick was named interim commissioner. But the 76-year-old’s tenure would not be a long one. On August 25, the league presented its new commissioner, Greg Nolan. A native of Ottawa, Nolan was a former junior hockey star and was even drafted by the LA Wizards in 1982. After failing to stick with the Wizards, Nolan quit hockey to study law at Dalhousie University in Halifax. At 42, Nolan became the youngest man ever to lead the PHL, and he faced a multitude of challenges. Between the Byrd scandal, the recent New Orleans situation, and a once-again broken economy, the league’s image was in tatters. Just two decades after failing to make the PHL as a player, Greg Nolan was now tasked with saving the league as its new commissioner.

Nine Teams Unveil Third Jerseys

The PHL took a year off from alternate uniforms while switching over to the Duke FitLite uniform system in 2005-06. In 2006-07, alternates returned in a big way, with nine teams introducing new sweaters in the summer of 2006.

Boston, St. Louis, and Oakland's new uniforms are similar to what was worn before the switch. Kansas City's new duds are similar to the previous alternates, but with a new logo. Carolina will wear red for the first time, with a pirate flag stretched across the front, while Edmonton's new jersey is unlike any ever seen in the league, featuring a neon/purple pattern up the left arm with a new logo on the front. Atlanta and Washington will wear alternates for the first time ever, with Atlanta wearing a copper colored jersey with the wordmark "Atlanta" stretched over a red forked tongue, while the Generals will wear camo uniforms. Seattle is the only team to unveil a retro jersey, bringing back their popular Holiday Classic design based on the uniform worn from 1974-1998.

More teams are expected to unveil alternate uniforms for the 2007-08 season.

2006 Lewis Cup

The Toronto Racers’ appearance in the 2006 Lewis Cup Final was thanks in large part to the play of 20-year-old Mark Davis. However, the Championship series did not start out as planned for Davis or the Racers. Game one in Milwaukee was one of the largest blowouts ever for an opening game in the Finals, as the defending champs took it 8-1. Despite the loss, Davis was given the starting job again in game two, but after the Choppers lit him up again for two goals on their first two shots, Rex Hull had enough and but Jussi Sykko back in. Sykko, determined to regain the starter’s job permanently, played one of the best games of his career, while Murdock, Reid, MacDonald, and Igor Kharitonov each scored in what turned out to be a 4-3 Toronto win.

Though he confirmed Sykko would have the net for Game three, Rex Hull still defended his young goalie, Davis. “He is clearly a very talented goalie, I think the pressure maybe got to him a little bit.” Game three in Toronto saw a packed Queen Elizabeth Arena that seemed to be shaking from the noise. Just prior to the playoffs, the Racers’ ownership announced they were in the beginning stages of securing a new home for the team by decade’s end, making every big game at the “Q” even more special. The crowd didn’t seem to faze the Choppers early on, as Adam Wyrzykowski opened the scoring on a breakaway. Milwaukee had a chance to increase the lead just a minute later, when Brad McNair had a breakaway of his own, but Sykko stretched out his left pad to make an incredible save. It would be a key moment, as the Racers began the onslaught early in the second period. Darren Reid scored, followed by Andrew Cox. Sean MacDonald scored after that to make it 3-1. Milwaukee pulled Matt Darwin with nearly two minutes left, when Murdock scored on the empty net to seal the win. Game four was a scoreless tie right through regulation, as Darwin and Sykko were both spectacular. The game remained scoreless going into overtime. Both teams traded chances back and forth, until unlikely hero Theo Galvin finally beat Darwin to give Toronto a 1-0 win and a chance to win a championship in game five.

With the cup in the building, game five went into overtime again. Milwaukee was desperate for a goal to stay alive. Joe Murdock nearly had the cup winner near the end of the first overtime, but it was Darwin’s turn to make a spectacular save. In the second extra frame, Brad McNair beat Sykko just under the glove to keep the defending champs in the series.

Game six was back in Toronto with the cup in the building once again and the Choppers remained confident. “We’ve been here before, we just need to find a way to get back into this.” Said McNair. Despite the confidence, the Choppers were simply out of gas. Sykko came up big once again, while Murdock and Chris Falkner each scored as Toronto took a 2-0 lead. With 20 seconds to go, Milwaukee pulled Darwin, but it was too late. Sykko made two more big saves and the clock ran out as the Racers poured off the bench. For the second time in four years, the Toronto Racers were the Lewis Cup champions. Despite his struggles in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jussi Sykko took the playoff MVP award with six shutouts. “He was unbelievable” said Murdock. “He came up big when we needed it most.”